After the bribery scandal, they appointed a new auditor of the Río Turbio Carbon Deposits
After departure from Thierry DecoudThe national government has appointed a new auditor Río Turbio deposits. The changes came after the former official found himself turned upside down bribery scandal.
Through decree 869/2024published this morning in the Official Gazette, appointed executive Pablo Sebastián Gordillo Arraigada as Decoud’s successor.
Arraigada has extensive experience in mining and hydrocarbons, having served as CEO State public servicesa provincial state-owned company of Santa Cruz dedicated to the supply of drinking water, electricity and sewage disposal.
He also held other positions in the provincial government and in the municipality of Caleta Oliva. In addition, he was a consultant The People’s Chamber of Deputies. As stated from Santa Cruz Govthe is the governor’s “trust and consultation” person Claudio Vidalin relation to energy.
His appointment follows the departure of Decoud, which took effect through decree 841/2024. Milei decided to fire the official after he was involved in a bribery scandal. The information was known through a newspaper investigation Clarion which revealed that two “middlemen” had asked to return to carry out the operation with Israeli company TEGI. These two “facilitators” are Andrés Gross and Alejandro Salemmewhose voices were recorded in conversations with a company executive where the alleged requests for bribes originated.
The controversy revolves around the operation of buying 30 thousand tons of coal for about 2,100,000 dollars. When the deal was due to close last June, Gross acted as an “intermediary” in negotiations and would ask TEGI’s representative in Argentina, Juan Agustín Yarke Arieta, for additional payment.
In the recording of the conference, which includes “intermediaries” and representatives of the Israeli firm, Gross can be heard apologizing: “They are asking us for a very high percentage.” But he does not specify who he is referring to. Gross is Decoud’s personal friend and they play soccer together.
In the same entry, Saleme, the second “mediator” in the negotiations, suggests a way out to finally complete the treaty. “We want to do the deal, it’s about sitting down and talking, we’ll see how intelligently you and Constantín can raise it.” Constantín is the CEO of TEGI.
For this reason, the government instructed the General Control Office of the Nation to prepare a report on delivery and reception, which will contain the necessary information to determine the state of the administrative, family and financial situation of the Yacimientos Río Turbio. The report will focus on identifying “fulfillment of facts or irregularities that could constitute illegal actions in the criminal and/or administrative field“.
“The dismissal of the auditor is apparently related to a corruption complaint. If it is found that there is no absolute transparency in the proceedings, the president always removes the responsible person, not because he is really responsible, but because The president wants everything to be completely transparent, so while the facts are being clarified, he has decided to fire the auditor“, specified Adorni a few weeks ago.
Decoud arrived at the YCRT in late 2023, following the inauguration of Milea as President of the Nation. He is 42 years old and has experience in energy. Libertarians trying to get rid of him linked his entry into the national administration with a special request from the PRO.
However, in the yellow space, they clarified that former party functionaries who joined the current government did so through private deals. Moreover, they claim that the only two names recommended by them were Diogenes of Urquiza and Christian Larsen.
