Mexico threatens suit against Rivada Networks, which cites deposition in alleging Red Compartida improprieties
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- Mexico threatens suit against Rivada Networks, which cites deposition in alleging Red Compartida improprieties
- Mexico threatens suit against Rivada Networks, which cites deposition in alleging Red Compartida improprieties
- Mexico threatens suit against Rivada Networks, which cites deposition in alleging Red Compartida improprieties
Mexico threatens suit against Rivada Networks, which cites deposition in alleging Red Compartida improprieties
During the meeting, Aspe and Gongora discussed with Haan the possibility of awarding the Red Compartida contract on a sole-source basis to “CVG,” a group that later became the Altan consortium, according to the deposition transcript. Haan was able to convince Aspe that a “transparent and independent business process” would be better for Mexico than a sole-source bid, but Gongora continued to push for CVG after the meeting.
“[Gongora] turned to me and said, ‘I want you to select CVG by the end of the month,’” Haan said in his deposition. “To which I replied—and I actually remember this quite clearly—that we cannot make a multimillion-dollar assessment or decision on the back of an envelope. It would be an international scandal that would not meet the President’s goals.”
Haan also noted that he told Gongora that, if there was backlash for pursuing such a scheme, it would be Gongora who might be looking for a job.
“’Ministers don’t get fired,’ I told him [Gongora]. ‘Staff get fired, and you will get fired,’” according to the deposition transcript. “And then he shrugged and moved to the other point.”
Haan said the “other point” was Gongora’s proposal that Haan write consultancy proposals on behalf of two rival consultant firms—McKinsey & Company and Bain & Company—that would include errors that would result in those firms being disqualified from the consulting procurement, according to the deposition. With the other two firms disqualified, Deloitte Consulting would be the lone qualified bidder and winner of the award.
“[Gongora] explicitly asked me to write the proposal for them, put errors in them, so he can select us,” Haan said in his deposition.
“I responded that, ‘That is illegal. I am a Deloitte partner. I cannot have this discussion; I will not have this discussion; and I will have no part of this, and I will internally review it,’ And he [Gongora] shrugged.”
In a statement released yesterday, the SCT noted that Gongora stopped working in the ministry in June 2015, more than a half year before the SCT released the Red Compartida request for proposals (RFP).
“Therefore, during the performance of his duties he had no interference in the bidding process, nor contact with the consortia participating in the contest,” according to a translation of the SCT statement.