The millionaire deal that was sealed between the Minhacienda office and the National University in the middle of the fight for the rector

MWhile hooded men tried to take over the headquarters of the National University in Bogotá and its directors faced each other in court over the appointment of a new rector – José Ismael Peña– Petro government officials were perfecting a million-dollar business that involves future validity and a satellite company of that institution.

According to the criteria of

EL TIEMPO investigated and established that the business began cooking in January of this year when Dolly Montoya was still rector. And it was perfected when the Ministry of Education opposed Peña continuing as head of the university and he tutored him to remain in office.

Did they leave the shell?

The state entity involved in The business is the Pension and Parafiscal Management Unit (UGPP), which is attached to the Ministry of Finance and has a budget of more than 289 billion pesos annually.

Officials of that entity told EL TIEMPO that with the deal that was just signed, “the UGPP was left in a shell.”

The reason: “You are handing over roles of your missionary function to third parties. What are we officials for? In addition, the contracts were going to be delivered through tenders that were aborted and generated resignations.”.

EL TIEMPO also verified that a group of professors from the National He asked that his staff of employees immediately withdraw from the business due to the secrecy with which the issue has been handled and due to alleged personal interests in getting it signed, without waiting for it to be clarified who will remain as rector of the National.

Daniel Quintero odds?

As EL TIEMPO revealed on May 2, the UGPP has among its directors three trusted officials who They held key positions in the Mayor’s Office of Medellín in the administration of Daniel Quintero, who landed a few months ago in the UGPP.

This is Juan Pablo Ramírez, former secretary of the government of Medellín and now deputy director of Normalization of Pension Records. In addition, Edwin Muñoz, former manager of the Company for Security and Urban Solutions (ESU) and today director of Information Technology Management. And Marelbi Verbel Peña, former assistant manager of the ESU and today director of Support and Organizational Development of the UGPP.

After EL TIEMPO revealed a possible inability between the execution of an agreement between the ESU and the UGPP, whose main protagonist is Edwin Muñoz, the director of this Unit, Luciano Grisales, stated that they were possibly going to stop it.

But the one that picked up speed is the one that involves to the National University and its satellite company Corporación Rotorr-Motor de Innovación (Rotorr).

Rotorr partners include the National University, with 70 percent; and (until a couple of weeks ago) the National University of Colombia Teaching Employees Fund (Fodun), with 30 percent and represented by Jairo Orlando Villabona, recently appointed director of the Dian.

Luciano Grisales’s letter

On January 23, the director of the UGPP, Luciano Grisales invited the National and Rotorr to sign an “agreement of wills to provide permanent support in the different missionary processes developed by the entity in matters of training, structuring, consulting, among others.”

Grisales highlights the track record and experience that Rottor and La Nacional have, and also refers to previous conversations.

The Rotorr-Motor Innovation Corporation has one year and 3 months after it was created and registered a capital of 1,000 million pesos, of which 700 million are represented in the loan of a headquarters and some equipment, among other goods in kind of the National University.

One day later, on January 24, the National –represented by Camilo Younes, its vice-rector for Research–, and Rotorr –represented by Jairo Alonso Restrepo, executive director–, made themselves immediately available to sign the agreement of wills.

Future validity

On January 30, they signed the agreement. And the first contract, on April 16, “to provide comprehensive document management and archive administration services during the stages of document management and their life cycle.”

The initial amount of the contract is 25.2 billion pesos. Of which 7,255 million pesos have budget availability.

EL TIEMPO investigated and established that the rest of the money will be covered with future quotas that were approved by the director. General of the Public Budget of the Ministry of Finance in a document dated February 29, 2024.

Committee votes

UGPP officials, who requested anonymity for fear of reprisals, They assured EL TIEMPO that public tenders had already been planned to choose the contractors to carry out the work that Rotorr will now do.

“There was a contracting committee where three of its members opposed giving that contract directly to Rotorr and ended up outside the UGPP,” said an official.

However, these former employees are not the only ones who ended up leaving the

agreement and contracts between the UGPP with the National University and Rotorr.

EL TIEMPO established that, after a Fodun meeting, on March 15, the decision was made to separate itself from Rotorr. This was notified to him, on April 26 – the day the contract with the UGPP began –, to the manager of Fodun, Jairo Orlando Villabona (new director of Dian), and to its Financial Manager, Marco Blanco, who is also the administrative and financial manager of Rotorr.

‘Personal interests’

EL TIEMPO contacted Luz Marina Ocampo, coordinator of the Fodun Social Control Committee, who explained that they left Rotorr because there was no clarity about what the teacher fund did or earned.

And another Fodun manager, who asked that his name be omitted, pointed out that there was secrecy behind the agreement with the UGPP and alleged personal interests.

EL TIEMPO spoke with Luciano Grisales, director of the UGPP, who delivered studies and documents that support the convenience of the agreement and contract. Also, information on future validity. He also asked to go to the primary source (the UGPP) and not to third parties to investigate the issue.

“Experience exercising comprehensive management was accredited in the 2023 inter-administrative contract, which the National University concluded with the General Comptroller’s Office, which contemplates the field of document and file management”says a document sent by Grisales.

But when asked who He signed the agreement in the name of the National, if the rectorship was in dispute, he said he did not know (it was Camilo Younes). He also did not explain the departure of members of the hiring committee who opposed hiring without bidding.

EL TIEMPO called Marco Blanco, who continues to present himself as a representative of Rotorr, said that he is at the junction for his departure and referred to a spokesperson who explained that they were authorized to sign the agreement and the contract, and that this did not depend on any rector (see box below).

‘You have the authority to sign; does not depend on a rector’

EL TIEMPO contacted Marco Blanco Ariza, financial and administrative manager of Rotorr, to ask him about the signing of the agreement with the UGPP and if a new contract with this entity was being prepared.

But he assured that he was not the right person to provide this information because each project is directed by a different person.

Jennifer Aldana, in charge of the issue, told EL TIEMPO that Rotorr has extensive experience in the matter and it is not true that there will be a second contract.

Furthermore, he assured that the signing of the agreement and contract did not depend on a specific rector and that Rotorr has the autonomy so that its representatives can sign.

Finally, He said he did not know the reasons why Fodun had withdrawn from the Corporation.

Regarding the budget and future validity periods, He stated that it was possible that not all the money allocated was used, and that everything was signed in accordance with the rules and laws.

INVESTIGATIVE UNIT

[email protected]

@UinvestigativaET

Follow us now on Facebook