We know all about the under-deposits at city hall which are being investigated by the Council's Financial Regulator, the Audit Department and the Police Department. That one is up in the air right now – but police haven't even been called to look into another case, this one at the Border Management Office at the western border. General Manager of the Border Management Agency Gonzalo Rosado today confirmed to us that former Western border site manager Julio Santos was terminated under suspicion of being involved with missing money.
Rosado refused to discuss how much had gone missing and only laughed when we suggested that it was in the vicinity of thirty thousand dollars. But it's no laughing matter and though border management is a statutory body, the money it collects is still considered public funds. Still, all Rosado could say was that the auditor was investigating the reports of missing funds and at this time it was all inconclusive.
So if it's inconclusive, then why fire an employee who's also the cousin of the Cayo west Area Representative and Border management Minister Erwin Contreras? Rosado said that he didn't want Santos around with the suspicion pending. Surprisingly, no official police report has been made to Benque Viejo police. Rosado says he'll only do that after the auditor makes a conclusive finding.
And what does Julio Santos have to say? Well, it gets better. He told us that he knows nothing about any of it; that he is on leave and has not been fired; nor has he received any letter of termination. And implying a level of political protection, he added that Erwin Contreras is his cousin and like a brother to him. Santos added that if he is taken to court, Rosado will also face accsations from him substantiated by three letters.
Real ugly, but the worst part is with all this back and forth there's money missing and General Manager Rosado simply refused to even discuss a ballpark figure. But we repeat that we have heard from multiple sources that it is in the range of thirty thousand dollars – and that the money was missing from five deposits that are unaccounted for.
And two important footnotes. First, Minister Erwin Contreras and his CEO could not be reached. Second, if the name Julio Santos sound familiar, it should be. In 2001, he was the assistant manager of Mount Carmel Credit Union in Benque Viejo when over five hundred thousand dollars went missing from that institution. Santos along with the manager and loan officer was charged with ten counts of theft but he was never convicted – in fact, no one was.
