QCOSTARICA — During the press conference following the weekly cabinet meeting, President Rodrigo Chaves announced that a criminal complaint had been filed against the Chinese company Huawei and several public officials, without addressing the facts that are being investigated.
The accusation that was announced jointly with Marco Acuña, executive president of the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE) would have been filed with the Fiscalía Adjunta de Probidad, Transparencia y Anticorrupción (Fapta) – Deputy Prosecutor’s Office for Probity, Transparency and Anti-Corruption of the Public Ministry, according to an image presented during the conference.
However, despite the fact that a copy of the complaint was requested, it has not been provided.
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Chaves pointed out that the accusation was filed by ICE, the Ministry of Science, Innovation, Technology and Telecommunications (Micitt) and the official legislative faction against officials of the ICE and the company Huawei at an international level, as well as employees of the Chinese firm that supplies telecommunications infrastructure equipment.
The complaint also allegedly included Ana Sofía Machuca, internal auditor of the ICE, for the alleged commission of the crimes of breach of duty, influence against the Public Treasury and fraud against the Public Treasury, as well as against the company Huawei Technologies Costa Rica and its manager and general attorney in a personal capacity Yang Peng.
Chaves mentioned the alleged crimes of fraud, bribery, and influence peddling against the Public Treasury. However, the specific facts for which the president considers that these violations of law were committed are unknown.
Also accused are: Douglas Quesada, head of the ICE Network Development and Construction Division, Carlos Mecutche, who held the same position from 2014 to 2019 and Luis Diego Abarca, who held the position from 2022 to 2024, the year in which he was dismissed.
The Presidency has yet to make available a copy of the complaint, to find out the details. Nor has the Prosecutor’s Office confirmed the veracity of the information.
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The case would be related to acquisitions in the last 10 years from Huawei that provides connectivity solutions.
Neither Huawei not ICE has made any official statement to the President’s announcement.
Dispute with Huawei
This goverment’s complaint comes after a long dispute with Huawei over the distribution of telecommunications equipment and the installation of 5G technology in Costa Rica.
Huawei is currently one of the ICE suppliers in telecommunications material and is part of the tender to offer the 5G network.
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However, the public tender to provide 5G is on hold after the Administrative Litigation Court upheld a precautionary measure filed by the Internal Front Federation of Workers of the Costa Rican Institute of Electricity (ICE) and the FIT Industry.
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