Photos: Here’s the $12 million luxury jet bought for the Duque government’s police

In the afternoon of Sunday, February 19, not only the audit carried out by the Comptroller General of the Republic became known, in which irregularities were detected in the purchase of an aircraft for the national police for 12 million of dollars. Images of the ostentatious plane acquired in the government of former President Iván Duque have also been revealed.

The Legacy 600 was purchased under the approval of the Ministry of Defense —directed by Diego Molano Aponte—; The possibility of buying two other planes on the basis of an equipment improvement plan has even been mentioned.

This observation alone would have triggered the alarm among the control entity’s delegates, after the acquisition of one of the three aircraft approved by the Government Dukein the National Development Plan 2021.

They did not forget, during the audit, that with the resources used for the purchase of Legacy 600, a much more modern aircraft could have been purchased. However, the specifications of the planes the company claimed to need Police –apparently– have been changed.

And it is that, despite the fact that in 2010 the Colombian Air Force was designated as the State Aeronautical Authority, years later, in 2016, the police began to design a equipment improvement planapproved by the Department of Defenseafter a review, which considered the purchase of 3 aircraft.

The buying process, according to police sources in an interview for The weather, took place in the company of the Controller. In the technical tables, it was decided assign contractual liability to CIAC, an entity that has made similar purchases in the past.

“The CIAC was chosen because it has already made permanent contracts with the Police, it has great experience and recognition, and it knows the market. And he is also part of the Social and Entrepreneurial Defense Group (GSED), revealed the police source.

The decision was made in a steering committee, in which 10 police generals agreed to hand over responsibility for the purchase to the Company; since the Air Force Recruitment Agency (Acofa) could not intervene on behalf of the police, so this was not an option.

“The CIAC has a lot of experience in contracting processes and they take responsibility for procurement. At all times of the process, the law of contracts has been respected, ”insisted the source of the aforementioned media.

Before deciding on the Legacy 600there would have been many technical visits in which the needs of the Institution and the capabilities of this aircraft and others were weighed, more by adjusting those of the Legacy 600, the price of which would not only be justified in the Year of manufacture:

“It’s not true that an older plane was bought at a higher price, in aviation you have to consider issues like the maintenance of the plane and the value of its components. In addition, security issues and aircraft services,” he explained.

On the market, the Legacy can be sold for up to 14 million dollars, but that of Colombia, intended for the national police, was purchased for just over 12 million.

“The plane is being delivered and has not started to be used and its capabilities have not been tested. How can they talk about harm when they have not even allowed it to start be used?” asked the police source.

However, the model for which they opted and the price at which the purchase was finalized are still signs arousing the mistrust of the statutory auditors delegated by the control entity; which, depending on the progress of the verification process, could open investigations and even a formal investigation against the police and the Colombian Aeronautical Industry Corporation (CIAC), adding to a long history of scandals in the aircraft purchase under the administration of the Duke.