The Inspector General’s Office has opened investigations into the managers of 34 health insurance companies (EPS) allegedly involved in the massive corruption scandal which is reported to have cost the state $2.5 billion.
Deputy Inspector General Martha Isabel Castañeda announced that the government office aims to “establish the responsibility of public servants in conduct relating to improper payments, transactions without observing the rules [and] payments ordered using false guardianships,” among a litany of other corrupt methods, reported Semana.
EPS companies themselves could be fined up to $28.3 million (COP 50 billion) each, if found guilty of restricting public access to certain services covered by the national health plan (POS) that every employed citizen must contribute to, El Espectador reported.
The fine would be imposed by the Superintendency of Industry and Commerce, which will conduct a concurrent investigation into the EPS, expected to take between two and three months, said a government official who requested to remain anonymous.
Five suspects have been charged by the prosecutor general thus far, with a further 20 warrants still pending.