After the arrests of senior officials who could allegedly be linked to the corruption plot that was uncovered in the Venezuelan Corporation of Guayana (CVG), the National Police against Corruption (PNCC) now focuses its actions in some companies that provide services to the CVG .
By pableysa ostos /correspondent lapatilla.com
In the morning of this Friday, May 5th, PNCC officials took over the facilities of the IMGC Corporation at the Torre Loreto in Puerto Ordaz.
They left after 2:00 in the afternoon, after sealing all doors with tape that points out “secured by PNCC”. This private company offers logistics, inspection and certification services, also maritime transport, shipping agency, air transport, material management and environmental management.
The company maintains commercial relations with the CVG. Its president is José Castillo, who also owns Cantina Café and belongs to the directive of the Yacht Club. In his LinkedIn profile, he mentions that he graduated in Metallurgical Engineering at the Antonio José de Sucre Polytechnic National University, pursued studies in management training at the Institute for Higher Administration Studies (IESA) and studied business at the University of Harvard.
On the same page states that became CEO of the IMGC Corporation in January 2014.
The information forwarded by a spokesman for that company is that: “we continue to operate. There is no legal process against us. The visit of the authorities is part of the central government audits process to the companies that work for CVG .”
“Our administrative offices are closed as part of the process. All production units continue to serve and operate,” said the spokesman.
A source linked to the investigation revealed in anonymity to the journalist team of Lapatilla.com, that the investigation triggered by the fact that they “transferred and took out the badly called scrap.” So far there are no detainees.
Another of the companies that is also under investigation and was secured by PNCC for at least two weeks was Jorin Machinery and Services, C.A.
This company provides heavy machinery and equipment, stowage services in general, maintenance and inspection of civil works, transportation services, platforms and special equipment. It also provides services to the CVG.
Together with Jorin, another company is investigated. It is located on the second floor of the Torre Bell in Alta Vista, and a third called Tepuy Marina.
Clover International under the magnifying glass
In a press release of December 11th, 2020, the CVG reported its strategic alliance with the company Clover International. “This strategic alliance developed by the Corporation (CVG) and Clover International aims to reactivate all international purchasing processes, advice of productive processes, supplies and raw materials in conjunction with holding companies.”
Clover International is a Venezuelan company in charge of handling comprehensive logistics, that is, it offers a range of services such as cargo transport, vehicles, customs agency, storage and removals, and also provides advice in these areas.
The alliance was formed under Pedro Maldonado’s hand when he was president of the CVG, and who is currently being held (detained, arrested) for corruption acts.
Clover International states on its website that the company’s headquarters are located on Luis de Camoens Avenue, Clover Center, P.3, La Trinidad, Caracas, Venezuela and registered as Clover International, C.A. / J-00042000-9.
Another source told the Lapatilla.com team that Clover is also being investigated by the links with the CVG.
A investigation by Armando.info published on January 5th, 2020, entitled “Scrape the Pot of Venezuelan aluminum is also profitable”, the report states that the relations of International Clover and Clover C.A. is not only with the CVG, but also with Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA).
Companies that provide services to the CVG are under close scrutiny by the Anti -Corruption Police in Bolívar
“… Although Luis Ángel Rincón de Vries seems to concentrate his commercial activities in this commercial area, his business is also developed through other companies in the United States and Venezuela, the type business activity that is most linked to him is that of transport, through International Clover C.A., a Company with more than five decades of experience in providing international transport services. It began as a national and international motive company, in 1964, and today claims to be a leader in the provision of professional integrated logistics and international transport services with offices in Venezuela, the United States, China, Brazil, Holland and Panama, in addition to having commercial allies “in the entire world”, as can be read on its website,” says the report.
“Most of International Clover Shares – 92.7% – is in the hands of the Clover Group, C.A., which, according to information from the National Contractor Registry (RNC), is chaired by Luis Ángel Rincón de Vries. Where he has 20% of the shares, as do his four brothers. Real state assets and equity are the first corporate purpose of this company. Among its clients in Venezuela stands out, according to the RNC, the state-owned Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA). Contracts with the Venezuelan oil company date back to 2000, when Chavismo was just beginning to govern in Venezuela,” adds the investigation.
The apprehensions continue
Only this week was arrested Brigade General Jorge Luis Gómez Pimentel who served as Commander of the General Directorate of Military Counterintelligence (DGCIM) in Bolívar, Manager of CVG Logistics, and Manager of Integral Protection of Sidor.
Gómez was apprehended by the National Police against Corruption (PNCC) in the midst of an anticorruption operation and for several days has remained at the headquarters of the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (Sebin) in San Félix waiting for its transfer.
This Friday, May 5th, there was a new apprehension. This was carried out by officials of the General Directorate of Military Counterintelligence (DGCIM), related to the anticorruption operation. The detainee was the Vice President of CVG Naviorca, Augusto León.
León is self described in his Twitter account as “Bolivarian, revolutionary and Chavista” and had been in this post for more than a year. Naviorca was created on January 22nd, 2020, according to Official Gazette Nº41.805, Decree No. 4,103.
It is attached to the Venezuelan Corporation of Guayana (CVG) and provides the aquatic services to the CVG and its assigned companies, through maritime, lake and river transport; port services; institutional services; cleaning of docks; maintenance and repair of naval machinery and equipment;Naveams, machine tool and workshop, and leases of docks and buildings.
11 detainees so far
Since the beginning of the anticorruption operation in Bolívar State, 11 people have been arrested, among whom are the President of the CVG, Pedro Rolando Maldonado Marín, and five members of its board of directors identified as Johan Sequera, Isaac Salazar (legal advisor), Carlos Moreno (General Manager of Traffic and Customs), Edgar Sánchez (Strategic Planning and Marketing) and Felipe Contreras (Vice President of the Iron-Steel area).
In the list those arrested are also the President of the Siderúrgica del Orinoco (Sidor), Néstor Rolando Astudillo Leal, as well as the Executive Vice President of CVG, Lino Mora, and the Finance Manager, Tulio Medina.