Pena Guaba defends the donations by the Lottery
SANTO DOMINGO.-The Administrator General of the National Lottery, Jose Francisco Pena Guaba, said yesterday that he acted correctly when he donated RD$27 million in toys to legislators and private and public institutions as well as professional associations, among others, and that he was willing to go to court if it was necessary.
Speaking at a press conference in his office, the official justified the donations of the resources alleging that the Lottery is the only entity that is designed to develop social plans that benefit the population.
He explained that the practice is not new and that at this occasion he only gave away what had been asked for, "on the other hand, former administrators did the same in a selective manner.>"
Pena Guaba showed reporters contracts signed by legislators that were benefited with the presents, as well as other institutions such as the case of the college of Notaries and the association of newspaper journalists. The latter received RD$360,000 to buy toys.
He cited the case of the senator from Samana for the PLD, Prim Pujols, who had said that "if you don't give me the gift card to buy toys, I am going to hang myself, because I do not have money to give anything to anyone," and he received a gift card for RD$100,000.
This is the only institutions that is made to give donations, it doesn't do anything else, a drawing and signing donations; you should criticize other institutions, but not the Lottery, all of its resources, 100%, are destined to donations," he said.
Pena maintained that the National Lottery does not take money from the public coffers and the resources of the entity are to finance its own social plans.
He revealed that in the Lottery, they give away million in donations everyday, "to buy medicines, toys, refrigerators, for surgeries, and this has been done in all of the administrations."
"This institution is the principle escape valve that the government has, here we receive hundreds of requests, the deputies, the President, in reality, form all over the government," he added.
He also revealed that there is a team of auditors doing an audit-that he requested-in order to determine if there was any corruption or not in the disbursal of the gift cards for toys.
"If they want to shoot me because I give assistance to Dominicans, then go ahead and shoot me," he said. The toy purchases were done in the name of three companies, Jaifa, Importadora Metro and Almacenes Caracas. The latter two stores belong to the Sebelen brothers. "Here, there was no cash handed out," said Pena Guaba while he explained that "if you have to do an operation and it costs RD$100,000, you apply the RD$40,000 in an order for a donation."
Besides the legislators, the Christian Foundation Love Thy Neighbor, Foundation Madeales, Ministerio Evangelico Cristo Vivo, Niños Chiriperos con don Bosco, Fundacion San Marcos, Fundacion Amor al Projimo de Guaricano, Centro de Desarrollo Integral, Escuela Fe y Alegria Cardenal Sancha, Escuela Emma Balaguer, Ministerio de A. Comunicadad Luz Celeste, Fundacion Cerafines, Escuela Hogar Luz del Futuro, Fundacion Optima Frontera, De Tu Casa a Mi Casa, Club Accion Comunitaria, Escuela Basica Maria Mercedes Gomez, Fundacion Luz y Liberacion para Gualey, Club de Madres y Mujeres de la Piña, among others.
"I gave responsibly to 210 legislators, to the churches, foundations, political parties, clubs, really to everyone, and for this they want to crucify me."
Speaking at a press conference in his office, the official justified the donations of the resources alleging that the Lottery is the only entity that is designed to develop social plans that benefit the population.
He explained that the practice is not new and that at this occasion he only gave away what had been asked for, "on the other hand, former administrators did the same in a selective manner.>"
Pena Guaba showed reporters contracts signed by legislators that were benefited with the presents, as well as other institutions such as the case of the college of Notaries and the association of newspaper journalists. The latter received RD$360,000 to buy toys.
He cited the case of the senator from Samana for the PLD, Prim Pujols, who had said that "if you don't give me the gift card to buy toys, I am going to hang myself, because I do not have money to give anything to anyone," and he received a gift card for RD$100,000.
This is the only institutions that is made to give donations, it doesn't do anything else, a drawing and signing donations; you should criticize other institutions, but not the Lottery, all of its resources, 100%, are destined to donations," he said.
Pena maintained that the National Lottery does not take money from the public coffers and the resources of the entity are to finance its own social plans.
He revealed that in the Lottery, they give away million in donations everyday, "to buy medicines, toys, refrigerators, for surgeries, and this has been done in all of the administrations."
"This institution is the principle escape valve that the government has, here we receive hundreds of requests, the deputies, the President, in reality, form all over the government," he added.
He also revealed that there is a team of auditors doing an audit-that he requested-in order to determine if there was any corruption or not in the disbursal of the gift cards for toys.
"If they want to shoot me because I give assistance to Dominicans, then go ahead and shoot me," he said. The toy purchases were done in the name of three companies, Jaifa, Importadora Metro and Almacenes Caracas. The latter two stores belong to the Sebelen brothers. "Here, there was no cash handed out," said Pena Guaba while he explained that "if you have to do an operation and it costs RD$100,000, you apply the RD$40,000 in an order for a donation."
Besides the legislators, the Christian Foundation Love Thy Neighbor, Foundation Madeales, Ministerio Evangelico Cristo Vivo, Niños Chiriperos con don Bosco, Fundacion San Marcos, Fundacion Amor al Projimo de Guaricano, Centro de Desarrollo Integral, Escuela Fe y Alegria Cardenal Sancha, Escuela Emma Balaguer, Ministerio de A. Comunicadad Luz Celeste, Fundacion Cerafines, Escuela Hogar Luz del Futuro, Fundacion Optima Frontera, De Tu Casa a Mi Casa, Club Accion Comunitaria, Escuela Basica Maria Mercedes Gomez, Fundacion Luz y Liberacion para Gualey, Club de Madres y Mujeres de la Piña, among others.
"I gave responsibly to 210 legislators, to the churches, foundations, political parties, clubs, really to everyone, and for this they want to crucify me."