La empresa que une a la Conaf y el Ejército en millonarios contratos bajo sospecha de fraude
El Mercurio, the National Forestry Corporation (CONAF) went on sale almost new helicopter. The same man who had released a few days ago amid auspicious
ads, but was purchased in 2008. W3A SOKOL of Polish origin, was acquired in $ 8.5 million after a bidding accident and remained only a few weeks in office before being offered for sale at the same price for which had been purchased. High costs of maintenance and operation convinced government officials that it was more profitable lease aircraft to have their own.
Even more, the W3A Sokol which went on sale Conaf could be awarded by a company of helicopters, instead of paying cash, to pay the firefighting service for a few seasons.
seemed an attractive offer, a bargain-hand. The ship will pay for itself. But the call was not a single stakeholder. Nobody in Chile or anywhere in the world was willing to take in these conditions a helicopter is not easy to operate and that few voices in the aviation industry considered overvalued. Suspicions of a premium in the payment of the helicopter took the deputy to submit RN Joaquín Godoy a complaint in the Court of Guarantee of Valparaiso, who has passed the background for alleged fraud to the Treasury to the prosecution Centro Norte de Santiago. In parallel, the prosecutor for the State Defense Council of Valparaiso, Henry Vincent, brings a background to study the merits of a complaint. The Polish helicopter was sold to Chile through the Chilean El Alba. The same as in these days is the subject of a judicial investigation on suspicion of fraud millionaire maintaining three CASA CN235 aircraft belonging to the Army Aviation Brigade (bave).
Dawn Chile SA, which operates abroad with the name of DeKoven Enterprises, belongs to the pilot of the air force reserve Arnaldo Manuel Lizana Varas and is managed by two of his sons, Paul Andrew and Ricardo Lizana Walsen. In recent years he has participated in major purchasing and procurement of aeronautical equipment. The company brokered the purchase of three aircraft sprayers EADS PZL M-18 of Polish origin DROMADER Conaf acquired the middle of the last decade. And these days in Brazilian courts claiming a commission of $ 6 million to the aerospace firm Embraer for the sale of 12 Super Tucano aircraft to the Air Force of Chile
military adviser
The first tender was declared void in 2007. In the second call, to be held early next year, a new player came to mediate in the purchase of the helicopter Conaf. Sánchez Rodolfo Rubio, a former general and commander of the Army Aviation Brigade, bave, was hired as an adviser to the committee in charge of the buying process. His name was recommended by former Agriculture Minister Alvaro Rojas Marín. Both are brothers. The former general is married to the sister of former minister. was not possible to locate Sánchez Rubio for this story. In the environment of Marin Rojas (DC), current chancellor of the University of Talca, maintain that the name of his brother was chosen from a shortlist and that this function was "technical assistance in preparing the new foundations and comment on Applications. " They add that their performance "is of no incompatibility because when (Sánchez Rubio) began to develop the technical advisory work to prepare the new bases," he was no longer a minister. His departure took place on January 11, 2008, precisely in the days when he was preparing the new tender was published on 18 February.
regard Catalina Bau, director in Conaf at the time of purchase of the helicopter, says the former General Sanchez Rubio was suggested by the ministry responsible for Rojas Marín. She claims not to know the relationship of Red to the aide, who worked alongside the head of the technical committee decided Conaf purchase, Firefighting manager Luis Martínez.
Bau says he took no part in the process of database development and evaluation of proposals. "This topic Conaf technical team worked alongside the legal team of the Ministry of Agriculture. When the assessment was made to me and brought me to the decision results final signature, "says the former director of Conaf and adds that if the helicopter is not operating, not a technical problem but will the new authorities (see box 2
).
The Polish helicopter represented by the Alba beat Chile SA proposals Eurocopter and Bell. Then there was questioning of the properties and certification of a ship that would be the only of its kind in Latin America. In the technical evaluation
achieved a score similar to that of its nearest competitor
, Bell Helicopter, and their price was considerably lower than the other two candidates. The business was awarded in August 2008.
So far
transited things under certain normal channels. But in 2010, once the ship was in Chile and had to put it to work, were revealed its technical limitations.
There were pilots trained to fly it and bring them to Spain, as was done in the beginning, it was not sustainable over time. Under these conditions the new authorities in Conaf estimated that the annual cost over a million dollars. To this is added disadvantages of support and maintenance. Unlike other competing models, the W3A Sokol has no technical representation in Chile or other Latin American country. That always known but was not considered by the evaluating committee. Oldest known
General (R) Sánchez Rubio, who advised the bid, has an old acquaintance at the company that won the helicopter. During his tenure as head of the Army Aviation Brigade (bave) was head of acquisitions at the former Colonel Juan Riquelme Vergara, who since 2003 worked for the firm in El Alba.
mid-nineties, when both were in office on the Bave, Sanchez was in charge of an ambitious plan to update SA.330 PUMA helicopters, the same as from the second half of the seventies served to launch ocean bodies of opponents of the dictatorship. Well aware of the general (r) Sánchez Rubio, who by then was a pilot and instructor of these ships. A decade later, according to court testimony of an Army pilot played by 
The Counter
, transmitted the order to throw into the sea five bodies belonging to militants of the Manuel Rodriguez Patriotic Front.
Millionaire contract mid-nineties was executed by Bristow Helicopters British Co. through the pilot and former Army lieutenant Cartoni Virgilio Maldonado ( see Box 1).
considered technological upgrading (overhaul)
of eight ships and aircraft hangers renewal Brigade in Rancagua. A pilot Retired army commander recalled that Sánchez Rubio then gathered his men to tell them that it was one of the biggest projects in recent years bave. Project was named Puma.
Some pilots called their attention that the contract was not executed by Eurocopter, the manufacturers of the Puma with which there were talks about it. He also drew attention to the trade agreement to consider the delivery as part payment of a Sikorsky S-76A Spirit, the same that occupied the early eighties Augusto Pinochet to go. The Army Sikorsky went to the inventory of ships operating the Bristow Helicopter Co. oil rigs in the North Sea. But it definitely was strange was that after the auspicious announcement, only two were fully upgraded Puma. The rest were subject to minor adjustments. The Puma Project
not speak again in the Army. Less than Sikorsky S-76A Spirit.
Pilot
candidate and businessman Rodolfo Enrique Sánchez Rubio is one of the most memorable commanders in the Army Aviation Brigade. Also one of the most identified with the dictatorship. By 1987 he held the rank of colonel and was commander of the Aviation Regiment No. 1 Independence of Rancagua. He was famous pilot and chief of the Army zone in the region for the 1988 referendum and the elections that followed. In March 1994, a general, was the subject of a memorable holiday in the brigade. Rubio Sanchez had earned a place in the High Command of Augusto Pinochet. His career soared even higher in February 1995, being appointed head of the Army Aviation Command and the Military Garrison of Rancagua. But seven months later, without an explanation of the reasons, was passed to retire. As a retired officer opened a technical training and training in Rancagua and twice ran for alderman in that city. The first (1996) won nearly five thousand votes as an independent in the list of RN and UDI. The second (2000), representing the Union-Central, earned little more than a thousand.
While Riquelme Juan Julio Vergara, his henchman in procurement and logistics Bave, was a pilot and staff officer. His career was quiet and low profile. Not like his brother Gaston Edison, brigadier general who retired in 2000, fifteen years earlier while he was in charge of procurement and logistics at the Military Academy, was involved in an embezzlement millionaire known as "fraud quince." Juan Julio Riquelme went into retirement in 2002. His name could have remained anonymous if not for seven years, while serving in the corporation Alba, the scandal exploded CASA aircraft. Contracts witches
In his court statement, Juan Riquelme Vergara was identified as technical adviser of the Dawn in the areas of aerospace and defense management. In practice, in regard to the maintenance agreement CASA CN232, was the liaison between the company and bave to check the details of the fees for work allegedly performed. Alleged because as established in a 2009 report of the Investigation Brigade of the Money Laundering Investigation Police (PDI), invoices purchases or orders emanating from the Army Logistics Management from 2002 to 2007 "show irregularities or at least have documentation that does not support the purchase or repair of aircraft components."
In reviewing invoices and purchase orders, the PDI report established a constant which apparently charged for parts and repaired in Spain but never left the country. Or, if they went out, did not correspond with what is actually stated in the guidelines.
In one of the many cases studied, concerning the repair of hydraulic pumps, the POI stated that "the items shipped airway arrived in Chile are different to those required repair, it is presumed that these pumps were never sent abroad and therefore were never repaired.
irregularities were reported in 2009 by former Chief Procurement Officer Foreign Currency of Bave, Alejo Mecklenburg Moraga. In that department, responsible for administering part of the three to four million annually from the Reserved Copper Law for the maintenance of aircraft and helicopters of the Brigade, Mecklenburg noticed the existence of a millionaire agreement between the army and the European aeronautics consortium EADS-CASA through the company DeKoven, which was a division The Chilean American Alba. The agreement was known as Fully Integrated Support Service (FISS) and had dragged on since 2002 without there being any type of contract.
millionaire was therefore a "verbal agreement", justified by the fact that they could not borrow more than a year. In 2007 the institution assumed a flat fee of $ 225 thousand for the technical support and a variable cost of U.S. $ 659 per flight hour. Later that year the Army Aviation Brigade had paid $ 800 thousand for three ships.
Another fact that caught the attention of former Chief Procurement Officer of Bave each payment was always curiously was less than U.S. $ 300 billion. While he understood that it was no coincidence. In the event that the amount would have been higher had to be endorsed by the Standing Committee on Military Procurement, chaired by the Chief of Staff. How to explain why three cargo planes that were taking up a fifth and a quarter of the budget for the maintenance of all buildings on the Bave?
Convinced he was before the figure of a million dollar fraud, which involved several army officers, Alejo Mecklenburg gave the background to bave commander, Gen. Antonio Yakcich Furche. A few months later, accusing the institution pressures and find that their complaint did not follow the regular channels, requested the withdrawal and put the matter to the attention of civil justice. Market
arms since the case has followed a convoluted legal history. Was first taken by the judge of the Riggs accounts, Manuel Valderrama, who was declared incompetent and sent the information to the Santiago Military Justice. This was referred to Rancagua and stepped beyond the State Defense Council to request the appointment of a special prosecutor. Thus, by decision of the Supreme Court, he is unique in that the judge of the Court of Appeals Juan Cristobal Mera was appointed in this case as minister visits Special Court-Martial. In part because it is part of the CDE, which awaits the outcome of key measures to assess a complaint.
In the Dawn, the company under judicial investigation, e-mail argue that the agreement between CASA Bave and which acted as intermediaries emerged "from the Army's need to maintain CASA aircraft in the best possible conditions." They argue that such agreements are common in America and Europe because "increases the level of availability, reduces logistics costs and known in advance the cost per flight hour."
on the committees has become interlayer Dawn as millionaire agreement partners suggest that it is a "zero percent" for billed as a fixed value "advise and represent" the company in Chile. "The goal of the Dawn is the promotion of new aircraft, and it is essential that aircraft are in operation and customer satisfaction."
When asked by other business in the area of \u200b\u200bDefence, representatives of the company say that "Dawn does not engage in sales of military equipment."
Beyond what is meant by this, in recent years has been quite active.
In 2008, parallel to the sale of helicopter Conaf, Dawn Enterprises and its subsidiary DeKoven were pending sale of 12 Super Tucano aircraft to the Brazilian Embraer made the Air Force of Chile. In the business for $ 120 million Chilean company claims to have taken part as an intermediary and as such calls for a commission of 5%.
In contrast, argue that while Embraer had a representation agreement with the Chilean company, the decisive steps for the sale of the planes were made directly from Embraer and the Chilean government. The case is pending in courts of Sao Paulo, where the Dawn calls for a commission of about $ 6 million.
addition to representing two of the biggest firms in the world aviation, Embraer and EADS-CASA, to mid Company Lizana family took an active part of the process of upgrading helicopters of the Chilean Armed Forces.
approval in the draft of ships Dawn promoted the sale of the W3A Sokol, the same model purchased Polish Conaf that in the mid-2000 was brought into the country and tested in different geographies, not entirely convinced that the uniformed Chileans. I had a good price but its capacity was limited, said a military pilot who participated in this process.
On the same date, according to a source linked to defense, Dawn Army managed the sale of a lot of grenade launcher from the English firm Santa Barbara. Family business
The Alba is one of the few companies supplying the armed forces in which its members are former military. The head of the group, Arnold Lizana Manuel Varas, 78, began in the civil aviation in the late fifties with a small fleet of aircraft in partnership with businessman Charles Griffin. By the eighties had a score of ships, most of which were used to explore fishing and ended up being sold to large companies in the industry. At the end of the decade raided successfully in industrial fishing and the sale of parts and services for the Armed Forces, but it was not long before the waters parted.
Lizana Varas in 1990 sold its aircraft to Charles Griffin and some years later obtained the exclusive representation in the Chilean Army in the English company CASA. His former partner airline founded Lassa and today represents the Agusta Westland helicopters.
Although Dawn and DeKoven companies are registered in their name and that of her son Paul Andrew, is it next to his brother Richard, who has business related to the military. The father spends much of his time in Melipilla plot.
Arnold's two children Lizana cultivated a low profile and have extensive political networks. So large that while they identify with the Coalition, in October 2010 Carlos Larraín, president of National Renewal, led a ceremony in which Ricardo Lizana Walsen
donated on behalf of the company Dawn
two electric generators that have a cost $ 16 million and assigned to the Hospital of Talca.
In the ceremony of donation, after being introduced by Larraín as a "friend of RN", Lizana Walsen said it was the politician "who invited me a few days after the tragedy to tour the devastated areas and that moment I was struck by the tremendous damage caused in people's lack of electricity, therefore decided to make this donation. "
When contacted for this story, Ricardo Lizana said through his lawyer, Raul DC Donckaster not have membership or have ever made donations to any political party or leader.
Preferred Suppliers
The agreement between EADS-CASA and army aviation came at the beginning of the last decade. The three aircraft CASA CN-235 which had been purchased in the late eighties, were badly damaged. It was then that the manufacturer offered to U.S. recover $ 5 million. After this is completed, by means of the Dawn, his representative in Chile negotiated a maintenance service Integral (FISS, as the acronym) for CASA CN235 and CN212 for a fixed value of U.S. $ 298,000 plus additional flight hours.
The deal was sealed initially Bave commander, General Alfredo Canales Taricco, who by the same date, to the Chilean troops participating in the peacekeeping mission in East Timor, I trust the company of Virgil Cartoni servicing of two Puma and SA.315 SA.330 Lama.
If under the general management of the Channel at least there was a contract for the maintenance of the CASA aircraft, with the arrival of his successor in the Bave in 2003, Brigadier General Henry Slater, there was only a "verbal agreement "for maintaining three CASA CN235. In his court statement, the company's commercial director Dawn, Ricardo Lizana Walsen, said they relied on the Army "because we knew that his word was trusted." According to the same testimony, this vote of confidence allowed the Army to report flight hours of the ships, which together with the alleged repair parts, possible to generate an invoice paid Chile's military mission in Washington DeKoven Enterprises Co., a subsidiary of the Dawn in Chile.
He tried continued unchanged until the general Antonio Yakcich took over the brigade in 2008.
Catalina Bau, former Conaf director: "The authorities do not want to have helicopters
Conaf According to estimates, each time W3A Sokol helicopter flight will cost $ 5,200. Two thousand dollars less than it costs to lease a Bell model with similar characteristics. The reason is due to the cost that would bring foreign pilots who can fly the ship, the only one in South America. This was done this week to fight the fire on the hill Vizcachas the eastern area of \u200b\u200bSantiago. In these maneuvers involving a English and a Polish pilot.
High maintenance costs, which amounted Conaf a million dollars a year, led by executive director of the corporation, Eduardo Vial Ruiz-Tagle, to declare inalienable. After the failure of the attempted sale, Conaf studies a model shared with a private management.
The predecessor of Vial Ruiz-Tagle Conaf, Catalina Bau, remember that the purchase of the helicopter due to a decision by the state to strengthen the fight forest fires and control. The program, which began in the Lagos government, considered the purchase of three spray planes EADS PZL M-18 DROMADER.
These three planes arrived in Chile under the direction of Bau and she corresponded that were operational. A process which he says was not easy, both technical and administrative. UDI deputy Jorge Ulloa requested in 2007 a ruling by the Comptroller to your questions about the powers of Conaf to operate aircraft. Also a group of business aviation activities presented to courts and the Court of Defense of Free Competition and improper alleging unfair competition by a private corporation managed by public funds.
Despite the difficulties, Bau says he got the Conaf operate aircraft. And under that same premise believes that if the corporation has failed to do the same with the helicopter due to reasons beyond its cost structure.
"Here there is no technical problem but a different way of seeing the role of government. They do not want to have helicopters and do not want it to work. If the helicopter had reached the second year of my term, I would have been run, as I operate the aircraft, despite all the problems, "says Bau.
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