Governor Ricardo Rosselló reported today that in the face of continuing complaints that the food is not reaching the sectors in need, he has asked the federal prosecutor’s office and the Department of Justice to conduct an investigation to identify the distribution problems.
“We have decided to take a series of actions, to avoid the mismanagement of the food and supplies … I have ordered the National Guard to go to the municipalities and to be observing and participating in the distribution of the food they are carrying,” said Rosselló, in the briefing he offered at the Pedro Rosselló Convention Center.
The Governor’s action comes after complaints that government employees were “stealing” supplies, according to the vice president of the Puerto Rico Products Association, Marilú Otero. Similar claims were made by Pastor Jorge Rashkee, who found that goods and aid had been stolen on the docks brought by United Pentecostals for Puerto Rico.
Rosselló said he asked the federal prosecutor’s office and the Justice Department to investigate the complaints, “to see if it is indeed a matter of mismanagement and if something has been done wrong, in order to consider prosecutions with the toughest extent of the law” .
In addition, complaints have been received from citizens regarding businesses that have been charging the Sales and Use Tax (IVU) and gas stations that have disobeyed the Department of Consumer Affairs (DACO) profit margin freeze order.
DACO will receive employees from other agencies, who will be trained in a three-hour orientation and will go out to inspect compliance on orders to freeze the price of gasoline.
