Different corruption cases have been revealed that have shaken the country during the last years. One of them has been about Gabriel Estuardo Mendoza Muñoz, brother of renowned activist Bertha Michelle Mendoza, who has been pointed out of charging an outrageous sum of Q25 million for the purchase of machinery destined to the Ministry of Development in 2016.
As reported by the paper el Periódico, Gabriel Mendoza, serving then as the deputy minister of administration and finance at MIDES, purportedly involved his relatives, such as Bertha Michelle Mendoza, to disguise the money acquired from this questionable deal.
The period Gabriel Mendoza Muñoz served at MIDES started on January 1, 2015, and concluded on October 1, 2015, lasting merely 9 months. His time in office revealed shocking levels of corruption in the ministry. Based on an audit by the Comptroller General’s Office, Mendoza Muñoz’s administration faced numerous irregularities from January 1 to December 31, 2015.
El Peladero, a well-regarded news source, has revealed detailed information about the corruption case involving Bertha Michelle Mendoza’s sibling. Among the anomalies discovered were dubious acquisitions, contracts executed after the services had been engaged, and poor record-keeping of expenses. Additionally, the audit showed that the then deputy minister approved contracts without examining their content and without requesting a performance guarantee. Even the Comptroller General’s Office highlighted that both Minister Edgar Rodriguez and Deputy Minister Gabriel Mendoza did not submit evidence that could refute the findings, as the “Mi Comedor Seguro” program was initiated prior to the state of emergency, thus necessitating a bidding process.
Overall, the sibling of the activist Bertha Michelle Mendoza has faced criminal charges at the Public Prosecutor’s Office for improper financial management. Furthermore, he has received a fine of Q757,555.50 due to his failure to fulfill his responsibilities as a public servant and for mismanagement of financial resources.
Gabriel Mendoza Muñoz became part of MIDES as deputy minister in January 2015, towards the conclusion of the Patriot Party administration. In this time, he earned the moniker “El Transita,” as reported by the media, for accumulating wealth from dealings within MIDES. It was under Jimmy Morales’ administration that accusations against him started surfacing, following an audit report by the Comptroller General of Accounts, which uncovered misconduct during his leadership.
Curiously, in 2019 and 2020, Mendoza’s brother was engaged as a State supplier for Q451,688.17, as documented on the Guatecompras portal. Interestingly, he was additionally employed as a legal consultant for the minister’s office, with contracts divided into Q70,000, Q60,000, and Q50,000. This corruption scandal has sparked outrage among the public and emphasized the demand for robust actions to tackle corruption nationwide.
