Cervantes's backbencher colleague Osmond Martinez has a unique perspective, though. As a former CEO from 2020 to 2024, he was an accounting officer.
And many of them know about another standard procurement practice that hasn't been heavily reported on. That is the one keeping contracts under the 50-thousand-dollar threshold so that they don't have to go to the Contractor General.
It's widespread, but in 2025 we came across a few of these that were signed by Osmond Martinez when he was CEO in 2024. They were for a popular contractor from his future constituency. We asked Martinez about those contracts, but he said we need to be careful:
JOMARIE LANZA-
"We have seen that you have issued a number of contracts to contractors which are just under the 50K threshold. Were you trying to avoid scrutiny of the Contractor General by creating multiple contracts under 50K?"
Osmond Martinez, Minister of State, Ministry of Economic Transformation
"Who, me?"
JOMARIE LANZA-
"Yes."
Osmond Martinez
"When?"
Reporter-
"So none have been issued?"
Osmond Martinez
"Not from me."
Reporter-
"Well, your ministry."
Osmond Martinez
"No, we don't give contracts like that unless it is a one contract that has to deal with it, but I think you have to be careful with that question. Do your background check the right way because we don't promote that kind of practice."
At least three of those contracts hovering near the 50-thousand-dollar threshold and made out to the same contractor were provided to us by the Ministry of Finance based on a Freedom of Information request.
