BOGOTA.- The former president of Colombia, Andrés Pastrana, described as very serious the complaint by the Head of State of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, regarding alleged electoral fraud in the last elections held in 2022, in which he certainly won, with the software of the company Thomas Greg & Sons, which today has the voter database in its possession.
President Petro denounced on February 27 that in the last year the private company managed, through a “lobby of very powerful politicians”, to control the database of Colombians in the National Registry and the scrutiny of the elections. This, according to the president, gives Thomas Greg & Sons control over two fundamental elements for future elections held in the country, which would open the possibility of a “monumental fraud.”
Control of the database of the National Registry, which is vital information for the organization of elections, allows citizens authorized to vote to be identified. If Thomas Greg & Sons has access to this information, it could manipulate it to favor certain candidates or political parties, Petro said.
It is important to highlight that this complaint, which President Petro has not presented any evidence to confirm so far, deserves a deep and transparent investigation, as demanded by former President Pastrana.
In 2022, Thomas Greg & Sons won a contract to print passports and visas for Colombia. However, this decision was later suspended by the Colombian government, citing concerns about the company’s track record. The firm has since filed a lawsuit against the government, seeking to have the contract reinstated.
At the time, Petro did not show any objections to the company Thomas Greg & Sons during the Electoral Code negotiations with former registrar Alexander Vega, despite the serious complaints that several congressmen presented, so they infer that Petro’s interest lies in a change of contractor in the passport tender.
A formal complaint must be made
Pastrana, through his social network account Sons.
The mess around the tender for the production of passports in Colombia continues to grow. President Petro warned that the situation with the company Thomas Greg & Sons “can definitively affect democracy.”
The company Thomas Greg & Sons
Thomas Greg & Sons is a British multinational company based in Guernsey, Channel Islands. It operates in 12 countries around the world and offers a wide range of security-related products and services, including: Printing: secure documents, passports and visas. Technology: election management systems, identification solutions and secure software. Integrated security services: physical, electronic and risk management.
The company has been in business for over 100 years and has a long history of providing security solutions to governments and businesses around the world. However, she has also been involved in some controversies, including a recent lawsuit against the Colombian government.
The company’s website states that it is “committed to providing high-quality, secure products and services that meet the needs of its customers.” However, the recent controversy in Colombia has raised questions about the company’s business practices.
Without consultation
The future of passport bidding in Colombia is uncertain. It is possible that the process will be canceled and a new one will be started. It is also possible that Thomas Greg & Sons will be disqualified. What is clear is that this case may call into question the transparency of the Colombian electoral system.
It should be noted that on February 23, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a press release, in order to inform that the chancellor in charge, Luis Gilberto Murillo, adopted two measures regarding the “Passports – Public Tender 003 of 2023” process:
It reassigned the power to direct the passport bidding process, as well as the administrative, budgetary, legal procedures and, in general, all acts related to it, to the General Secretariat. It suspended the opening of the bidding process for review, as well as more than 550 observations made to the pre-specifications by 19 interested parties.
The secretary general of the Foreign Ministry, José Antonio Salazar, confirmed, on February 26, that the chancellor (e), Luis Gilberto Murillo, was not consulted about the award of the contract. He argued that the Constitution and the Law are above the president and that in this case it was not necessary to consult anyone because he was the expenditure authorizer.
However, some sectors criticize the Government’s decision, arguing that it is a “betrayal” of President Petro. In addition, they point out that the award to Thomas Greg and Sons is a mistake, since the company has a history of controversies.
It should be remembered that the chancellor (e) suspended the new tender for the printing of passports and appointed Antonio Salazar as in charge of the process. This decision was made after criticism of the award of the contract to Thomas Greg and Sons became known.
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Source: Social network account
