Costa Rica's congress approves the creation of special commission to investigate corruption at Conavi

Statement from the Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica

[Machine translation]

The deputies unanimously approved the creation of a special commission that will investigate everything related to allegations of corruption against CONAVI officials, as well as other public entities and construction companies.

The deputies unanimously approved the creation of a special commission that will investigate everything related to allegations of corruption against CONAVI officials, as well as other public entities and construction companies.

The special instance will have the task of investigating the alleged network of road works corruption, which includes senior officials of the National Highway Council, businessmen, managers of construction companies and public officials, and whose economic consequences would amount to more than 78 billion colones. .

Deputy Jonathan Prendas Rodríguez, one of the commission's proponents, stated that the issue cannot go unnoticed by the Legislative Assembly due to the repercussions on infrastructure works and on the entities involved.

Audio deputy Jonathan Prendas Rodríguez

For her part, legislator Franggi Nicolás Solano, who is also a proponent of the motion for the creation of the commission, said that this instance, in addition to calling officials to account, must ask the Comptroller General of the Republic for explanations about the actions not carried out.

Audio deputy Franggi Nicolás Solano

The deputy José María Villalta Florez-Estrada stated that the investigation should not be limited to a single entity such as CONAVI, which is why he requested that it be established in the motion.

Audio deputy José María Villalta Florez-Estrada

The Commission will be made up of two legislators from National Liberation, one from Citizen Action, one from National Restoration, one from the Christian Social Unit, one from the minority fractions and one from the independent ones. In the case of National liberation, their representatives will be the deputies Franggi Nicolás Solano and Paola Valladares Rosado, while the minority fractions proposed José María Villalta Florez-Estrada

FIRST DEBATES

The legislators in this Monday's session also approved in their First Debate procedure File 22,309 Law to protect the occupants of the areas classified as special. Legislator Nidia Céspedes Cisneros, who has insisted on the need to approve the initiative in view of the planned eviction for those who live in those areas, said that its approval contributes to guaranteeing their right to remain on those lands. The Legislative Plenary also approved in the first debate File 22,511 reform of article 256 of the General Health Law. In addition, the legislators agreed to hold an extraordinary session next Wednesday to hear and discuss the report of the Special Commission that investigated the case of the Panama papers that was processed under File 19,973.