600 Large Beams Destined for the Bridge of Americas Have Disappeared

A view of the MOP courtyard in Farfán where the beams disappeared is shown above.

The Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office is investigating the disappearance of 600 large beams that were intended for the rehabilitation of the emblematic Bridge of the Americas, the Public Prosecutor’s Office reported on Tuesday, September 10, 2024. The investigation arose after a complaint was filed by the Ministry of Public Works (MOP) for the alleged commission of the crime of embezzlement. The beams, whose total value amounts to $3 million, were stored in a MOP yard located in the Farfán area. According to official records, the last confirmation of the existence of these structures on the site dates back to October 2023, during the previous government (2019-2024). During that five-year period, the State acquired the beams as part of a contract awarded to the construction company MCM Global to carry out the rehabilitation of the bridge. However, before the end of the administration, the scope of the project was modified, which led to the decision not to use them in the work.  The Minister of Public Works, José Luis Andrade, and the legal advisor of the entity, Ricardo Icaza, revealed in the National Assembly that the formal complaint was filed with the Public Prosecutor’s Office on September 5.