Uruguay health agency files criminal complaint against former management

Uruguay's state health services administration (ASSE) has filed a criminal complaint against former officials, accusing them of irregularities in purchases and agreements between 2022 and 2024. The complaint, personally delivered to the prosecutor's office, targets the management led by Leonardo Cipriani and cites alleged offenses including fraud, conflict of interest, and abuse of functions.

The move follows internal audits that flagged excessive spending and other supposed irregularities in studies and transfers during the previous administration. ASSE authorities believe these actions weakened the organization's budget and operations for the benefit of third parties or themselves.

Legal reports within ASSE identified potential administrative failures by the former board for signing agreements with Casmu and Círculo Católico. These reports also pointed to the exponential costs of these agreements and direct purchases made by ITHG (now UTAM) without proper competitive procedures, suggesting that former leaders could not have been unaware of these issues.

Several former ASSE officials, including ex-general manager Eduardo Henderson, ex-administrative manager Juan Behrend, and former SAME 105 director José Antonio Rodríguez, are named in the reports for alleged administrative failures. The complaint emphasizes the need for a thorough criminal investigation to determine if criminal offenses occurred against public administration.

The case has been assigned to prosecutor Gilberto Rodríguez, who is currently investigating the complaint but has not yet summoned any individuals for questioning.