House approves ban on government contracts for those who admitted corruption
The measure targets individuals who admitted public integrity offenses or fund misappropriation under immunity deals, amending a 2004 law that currently allows such contracts.
The short version
- El Nuevo Día reported the House of Representatives unanimously approved House Bill 738 on Tuesday
- El Vocero reported the bill would bar persons who admitted corruption or fund misappropriation from government contracts even with immunity
- Both outlets reported the measure creates a confidential registry kept by the Department of Justice and the Office of the Independent Special Prosecutor
- El Vocero reported the bill received endorsements from the Independent Special Prosecutor Panel, Department of Justice and Administration of Services
Bill advances to Senate
The House of Representatives unanimously approved House Bill 738, which would prevent the government from entering into professional service contracts with people who admitted committing public corruption or fund misappropriation offenses, even if they avoided prosecution through immunity agreements. El Vocero reported the bill, authored by Rep. Ramón Torres Cruz, now moves to the Senate for consideration and has not yet become law. El Nuevo Día reported the approval occurred on Tuesday.
The legislation amends Law 237-2004, which currently requires contractors to certify they have not been convicted or found guilty but allows those who admitted offenses under immunity deals to continue contracting. According to both reports, the bill establishes an internal confidential registry maintained by the Department of Justice and the Office of the Independent Special Prosecutor Panel containing names of individuals who admitted such acts under immunity.
What the sources posted
Posts and statements below are the sources' own words, quoted as published. They are not independently verified.
La inmunidad existe para conseguir testigos, no para premiar a quien confiesa
Our translation: Immunity exists to obtain witnesses, not to reward those who confess.
The source's own statement, as quoted by El Vocero. Not verified by PuertoRico.com.
Lawmaker statements
Torres Cruz told reporters the measure closes a loophole. El Vocero reported he said, “La inmunidad existe para conseguir testigos, no para premiar a quien confiesa”. Both outlets reported he stressed that someone could admit stealing from the people, avoid jail via immunity and then contract with the government again.
During debate, Rep. Adriana Gutiérrez Colón said the Puerto Rican Independence Party delegation supported the bill but called for addressing root causes of corruption such as political clientelism. El Nuevo Día reported she stated the fight against corruption must also strengthen oversight and transparency in government contracting.
Where the sources differ
Both El Vocero and El Nuevo Día agree the House approved House Bill 738 unanimously, that it amends Law 237-2004, that it targets those who admitted corruption or misappropriation under immunity agreements, that it creates a confidential registry at the Department of Justice and the Office of the Independent Special Prosecutor, and that the bill now goes to the Senate. El Nuevo Día specifies the vote occurred on Tuesday while El Vocero, published on Wednesday, does not state the exact day of the vote. El Nuevo Día includes additional comments from Rep. Adriana Gutiérrez Colón on root causes of corruption; El Vocero reports endorsements from the Independent Special Prosecutor Panel, Department of Justice and Administration of Services plus a certification of no fiscal impact.
What the reports do not say
The reports do not state when the Senate will take up the bill, whether the Senate will approve it without changes, or when it could take effect if signed into law. They also do not provide examples of past cases where individuals used immunity agreements to continue receiving government contracts.
Sources
Every link below was opened and checked when this story was published. Official means a government body, agency or the organization itself; Reporting means a news outlet.
- Reporting Cámara aprueba impedir contratos a quienes admitan corrupción, aunque tengan inmunidad
- Reporting Cámara aprueba prohibir contratos de servicios profesionales con personas que admitieron actos de corrupción
How we checked this
El Vocero and El Nuevo Día both reported the unanimous House approval of the anti-corruption contracting bill and its move to the Senate. Details on the registry, contractor certification requirements and legislator comments rest on both sources, while specific endorsements and the no-fiscal-impact certification appear only in El Vocero.
Compiled by the PuertoRico.com News Desk from the reports and statements listed above, and checked against them before publishing. It does not include original interviews. Spot an error? Email support@puertorico.com with a link to this story.