Corruption probe of culture contracts

The  Anti-corruption Prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation into alleged irregularities in a  Ministry of Culture project for entertainment via social media.

At least six contracts   totaling  $382,000 were awarded to Jimmy Dawson Production Inc.

Sources linked to the investigations reported that initially it is planned to take an affidavit from 22 people of interest in the investigation. Right now, the prosecution located the first two  and is trying to do the same with the other 20.

Among the first mentioned are social communicators whose names appear in the contracts, although they allegedly did not receive the money agreed with the company Jimmy Dawson Production Inc., chaired by Jaime Walter Dawson, according to documents from the Public Registry.

According to the sources consulted by La Prensa, these are the first proceedings that have been known since Daniel Lopera and Mauricio Valenzuela personally filed a complaint with the Public Ministry on February 5 against the Minister of Culture, Carlos Aguilar, for alleged irregularities in the contract with Jimmy Dawson Productions Inc.

At the time, communicators and journalists contacted by La Prensa denied having any kind of contractual relationship with Dawson’s company.

Among the communicators are Yodalis Bethancourt, Jaime Chong; Welcome Mojica, and Didia Gallardo.

In the midst of the scandal generated by these contracts, Dawson issued a statement, in which he stated: “the company is charging what is fair and what is due for the work.”