Presidenta And Her Ministers Indicted For Riteve Extension Contract

The Movimiento Dignidad Nacional (National Dignity Movement), which is formed by former legislators José Miguel Corrales ad Celimo Guido, indicted Presidenta, Laura Chinchilla, Transport Minister Luis Llach, and the vice minister of the same portfolio, Rodrigo Rivera, for extending the Riteve concession for another ten years.



Immunity protects the Presidenta and her ministers even though the charges of alleged crimes of malfeasance, dereliction of duty and personal favouritism were filed with the Ministerio Publlico.

The complainants questioned also the extension of the contract even though Riteve maintains a million-dollar lawsuit against the State, and that a shareholder of the Spanish consortium is involved in several public transport companies in our country.

The compliant also accuses managers of the COSEVI managers and other former officials who, they Movimiento Dignidad Nacional say, have responsibility for the events.

The original ten year exclusive contract given to Riteve for vehicular inspections in the country expired this year. After attempts to entice competitors the government decided to extend the Riteve contract for another ten years.

Defending the extension, the government said even it could find competitors to bid it would take them a couple of years to start operations, leaving the country a vehicular inspection mess. Also, the original agreement calls for all Riteve assets to be transferred to the State at the end of 20 years of operations.

For its part Riteve is continuing its lawsuit in the hundreds of millions of dollars against the government over fees, reducing the amount of the lawsuit after being given the extension, but not cancelling it.