The National Customs Directorate (DNA) found ammunition and weapons of war inside two containers in the Montevideo port. The finding was made using a special scanner, one month after the controversy over the three scanners whose tender carried out by the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) was challenged by the Court of Accounts.
Among the seized were a large number of live ammunitionincluding military gauges and hollow points, gunpowder, pods for fillings, telescopic sights and military clothing items. A significant amount of alcoholic beverages, cigarettes, cigars and medicines was also found.
2.jpg
Officials from Montevideo Customs and Cargo Control of the National Customs Directorate, the National Naval Prefecture (DIVIN), PREMO and the General Directorate of Police Information and Intelligence participated in the operation.
3.jpg
The investigation, carried out by the 6th Shift Prosecutor’s Office directed by Dr. Paul Rivaskeep going.
4.jpg
The controversy over the three MEF scanners
At the beginning of this year, the MEF advanced in the bidding for three DNA scanners for about 42 million pesos and for a duration of 10 years. According to the technical weighting of the Court of Accounts, the Sonda company, which offered Chinese scanners, came second.
After the tender files were presented to the participating companies, Probe appealed to the adjudication commission they valued aspects that were not detailed in the tender, which caused it to obtain a lower score. However, at the end of October 2022, the commission ruled in favor of proceeding with the spending, with three votes from the opposition and the president of the court, and three dissenting from the opposition.
After the resolution, it was sent to the Ministry of Economy, which is in charge of the DNA, but, although it agreed with the court’s decision, it requested that the observation of spending be reconsidered.
After several twists and turns, the Court of Accounts resolved to confirm the purchase, although with the condition of needing the confirmation of the Presidency and the reiteration of the expense by the MEF.
Source: Ambito
