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PINAR DEL RIO, April 4 (Víctor Rolando Arroyo, UPECI /
www.cubanet.org) - Rumors about the arrests of dozens of officials implicated in
bribes, counterfeit documentation and other criminal activity are on the
increase in Pinar del Río province.
Since neither the government press, or government and Communist Party
officials have released any information, several versions of the incident are
circulating from mouth to mouth.
The only certain information at this time is that dozens of administrative
officials and Interior Ministry officials have been arrested, and that others
have been either sent to take courses or to work outside the province, but all
are in some way or other involved in the conversion of motor vehicles into scrap
into modernized cars based on parts, as well as supplying the documentation to
make these vehicles legal.
Presumably two experienced investigators from Military Counterintelligence
and the Interior Ministry's Technical Investigations Department have been
assigned to work full time and very confidentially on the case.
Transportation companies and parts suppliers in Pinar del Río and
other provinces are involved in the scandal, because authorization at the
national level is required to process legal documentation for transportation.
According to one of the most widely circulated rumors, "municipal,
provincial, and Communist Party officials will be replaced or made to resign."
One resident, who didn't want to be identified, said, "An automobile is
not something you can hide; it's out in plain view. How is it possible that no
one detected the irregularities? Especially when government spokesmen have
repeatedly assured the people that after General Ochoa's case, controls were
established to prevent malfeasance by officials and military chieftains."
A man who had served jail time said, "All the medals and all the codes
of ethics that the government makes officials sign have been for naught. They
still commit crimes. And in this case, it is worse, because they don't have a
need. My case was widely broadcast by the press. Let's see if they do the same
with these officials, and they hold a public trial as they did with me and many
others."
Versión
original en español
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