'Not everything goes': Emcali's strong legal response to councilman Roberto Ortiz's controversial claims on public lighting

Emcali's general manager, Roger Mina, is initiating legal proceedings against councilman Roberto Ortiz, citing defamation and threats to his family's security. The move comes after Ortiz made public accusations on social media regarding alleged irregularities in Emcali's public lighting contract bidding process.

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Not everything is valid in the exercise of political control. The statements made against Dr. Roger Mina seriously injure his honor, his good name, and his reputation, so we will exercise all criminal, civil, and constitutional actions contemplated by the legal system.

Ortiz, a former mayoral candidate, claimed that Emcali was preparing to award a 20-year public lighting contract to an individual referred to as 'el Turco,' with the alleged complicity of the board chaired by Mayor Alejandro Eder. He described the potential deal as a "brazen plunder" that would lead to "more darkness, more costs, and less control for Cali residents."

However, Emcali's legal representative, Gustavo Moreno Rivera, asserts that Ortiz's accusations are unsubstantiated and violate fundamental constitutional rights, including honor, good name, and reputation. Moreno stated that "not everything is valid in the exercise of political control" and that such claims "seriously injure" Mina's standing. He stressed that any evidence of illicit conduct should be presented to the competent authorities, not used for media accusations.

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While Cali prepares for the football festival, at Emcali they are preparing a private party: allegedly handing over the city's public lighting for 20 years to 'el Turco,' with the full complacency of the Board of Directors chaired by Mayor Alejandro Eder.

Moreno also pointed out the contradiction in Ortiz's stance, noting that the public lighting service was previously held by the same private operator for nearly two decades. He emphasized that the Constitution protects honor, good name, due process, and the presumption of innocence, while the penal code penalizes slander and libel when dishonorable acts or crimes are attributed without proof.

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It is contradictory that serious accusations against public officials are now being made without providing a single piece of evidence. If there is evidence of illicit conduct, it must be presented to the competent authorities and not turned into media accusations.