Lawmaker accuses Paraguay's prosecutor of 'whitewashing' probe into $32 million desk purchase

Opposition lawmaker Raúl Benítez has accused Paraguay's Public Prosecutor's Office of failing to conduct a genuine investigation into the controversial $32 million purchase of Chinese desks, alleging instead that the office worked to "whitewash" the deal. Benítez, one of the initial complainants in the "golden desks" case, expressed concern that prosecutors might now target opponents with charges of false reporting.

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The Prosecutor's Office worked not to get to the bottom of the issue or investigate whether there was overpricing, but rather the work was to justify the overpricing. Basically, what justice did was justify the overprice.

Benítez outlined at least four key omissions in the investigation, arguing that the Public Prosecutor's Office did not aim to uncover potential overpricing but rather to justify it. "Basically, what justice did was justify the overprice," he stated, criticizing the focus on validating the cost rather than scrutinizing the procurement process.

A central point of contention for Benítez is the alleged "blatant" steering of the tender towards Kamamya S.A., a company linked to Chinese businessman Long Jiang, who has close ties to President Santiago Peña. The investigation, according to Benítez, did not sufficiently address the "chronological coincidence" between Kamamya S.A.'s acquisition of supplies and the publication of the tender notice, suggesting privileged access to information. This oversight, he argued, neglects the potential loss of effective competition and transparency in public procurement.

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There is no sufficient explanation for the chronological coincidence between the acquisition of supplies by the awarded company (8 days before) and the publication of the call. This fact evidences probable early access to relevant and privileged information, an aspect that would not have been investigated with the necessary depth.

Furthermore, Benítez criticized the prosecutor's reliance on comparisons with similar tenders to dismiss claims of overpricing, asserting that independent expert assessments were not conducted. He argued that the office accepted the company's declared "operating costs" without proper verification. Given these perceived shortcomings, Benítez believes the prosecutor's office has completed its task of "whitewashing" the deal and anticipates a potential move to prosecute the original whistleblowers.

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The Prosecutor's Office has already done its job, it has already whitewashed the business, now we have to see if they dare to take the second step, to report the complainants for false reporting and for trying to slander such a 'noble' business as that of the Chinese desks.