By The Star Staff
Former Santa Isabel Mayor Enrique Questell Alvarado will have to pay a fine of $42,000 to the Government Ethics Office for contracting some 14 relatives or their companies for work for the city.
Office of Government Ethics (OEG) Executive Director Luis Pérez Vargas announced the punishment Monday.
“We determined that the defendant, Enrique H. Questell Alvarado, incurred 14 violations of subsection (d) of article 43 of the Charter Law of the Puerto Rico Office of Government Ethics (LOOEG), Law No. 1-2012. Following the recommendation of the Examining Officer, the defendant is imposed an administrative fine of $3,000 for each of the 14 violations...The total fine imposed is $42,000,” reads the Resolution.
Within a period of 30 days, from the date on which the Resolution is notified, the former mayor will have to make the payment.
The accused party must deposit the payment of the fine at the Secretariat of the Office of Government Ethics of Puerto Rico (OEG), by certified check or postal or bank order payable to the Secretary of the Treasury.
According to the GEO, on July 16, 2021, the Puerto Rico Office of Government Ethics filed a complaint against Enrique H. Questell Alvarado, alleging that he awarded 14 contracts to relatives as well as to companies belonging to relatives, without clearing it first with the GEO.
As a result of these allegations, the complainant accused Questell Alvarado of having violated, on 14 occasions the ethics code.
On September 10, 2021, the defendant presented his response to the complaint. In brief, he accepted allegations two, three and four of the complaint but denied the other eleven or indicated that they did not require a responsive allegation.