At 2 in the afternoon this Monday, September 14, the Ecopetrol board meeting is scheduled, prior to the General Shareholders’ Assembly this Tuesday, which will be chaired for the first time by Miguel Gómez Martínez, Minister of Finance in the government of Abelardo De La Espriella.
And although the agenda for the state company’s board – chaired by former minister Luis Felipe Henao, and with fewer Petrist members in their seats – is already defined, at least one of its members will request that the explosive audio revealed this weekend by EL TIEMPO’s Investigative Unit, in which attendees at a breakfast talk about the distribution of positions in the state company and million-dollar contracts during the Petro government, be discussed.
Sitting with Manel Grau
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One of the voices in the recording, which is already in the hands of authorities and lasts about 43 minutes, is attributed to Manel Grau, the Catalan personal friend of former president Gustavo Petro and his former first lady, Verónica Alcocer.
Indeed, a voice with a Spanish accent talks about appointments in the state company, million-dollar drilling contracts, and works for taxes.
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Although the Catalan’s involvement had already been revealed by EL TIEMPO, now, a source places the current (acting) president of Ecopetrol, Juan Carlos Hurtado, at that meeting, who took office when Ricardo Roa requested a leave, amid criminal charges against him for influence peddling and violation of electoral campaign limits in the Petro President 2022-2026 campaign.
In fact, in the audio it is heard that Hurtado’s resume was moved thanks to the good offices of Grau and alias ‘Bachi’, a powerful contractor linked to criminal organizations.
Hurtado, who neither denied nor confirmed that he was at that recorded meeting, will have to sit at the same table with Minister Gómez during the shareholders’ assembly on Tuesday.
Step aside?
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And although Hurtado told EL TIEMPO’s Investigative Unit that all his actions have been in accordance with the law and regulations, at Ecopetrol it is taken for granted that, from the Ministry of Finance, there will be a statement or position on the content of the audios.
(Check here all the articles from EL TIEMPO’s Investigative Unit)
For now, Hurtado himself requested the board president, Luis Felipe Henao, and the head of internal audit, Ricardo Rodríguez Yee, to include in the forensic audit the questions that EL TIEMPO’s Investigative Unit posed about the meeting in which he is placed with Grau, talking about his resume, contracts, Ricardo Roa, and even Venezuela.
INVESTIGATIVE UNIT
u.investigativa@eltiempo.com
@UinvestigativaET
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