Hearing on security details paused after officials ask for time to produce documents
By John McPhaul
jpmcphaul@gmail.com
Rep. Luis “Narmito” Ortiz Lugo, who chairs the House Public Safety, Science and Technology Committee, had planned Tuesday to begin the investigation into “excessive spending on security details” by current and former public officials.
However, the committee had to open and close the session because Public Safety (DSP by its Spanish initials) Secretary Alexis Torres, Police Commissioner Antonio Figueroa, the head of the security detail for Gov. Pedro Pierluisi Urrutia and the Police Bureau’s director of security and protection requested a delay of 10 days to complete the delivery of the required documents and subsequently participate in a public hearing.
“During the afternoon yesterday [Monday], the DSP secretary contacted me requesting a delay of 10 days,” Ortiz Lugo said. “We evaluated the request and according to what was determined with the members of the committee, we are going to grant a period of 72 hours to the [Public Safety] Department and to the Puerto Rico Police Bureau to produce the required information.”
The lawmaker added that if the agencies do not provide the required documents, the committee that he chairs will consider the action “as an obstruction of the legislative function,” so they would be going to court.
“We are not going to hesitate in making any decision that is necessary,” Ortiz Lugo said. “As I mentioned before, I already had a conversation with the agencies … about the steps to follow, so now it is up to them to come up with the required information that they must deliver.”