The Executive Branch will not intervene in any way in the House of Representatives’ evaluation of a possible referral against Energy czar Josué Colón for alleged perjury. Colón, who is also executive director of the Public-Private Partnerships Authority (AAPP), is accused of giving testimony at a September 3 public hearing about his role in the failed Power Expectations contract that contradicts information found in several government chats.
The House Government Committee, chaired by Representative Víctor Parés of the Partido Nuevo Progresista (PNP), holds message exchanges among Colón, AAPP legal advisers, and officials of the Independent Procurement Office (3PPO). According to Parés, those texts contradict what Colón testified about the Power Expectations negotiations. La Fortaleza’s Public Affairs Secretary, Jean Peña Payano, said on Sunday that La Fortaleza does not make a legal evaluation or assess the evidentiary value of any evidence submitted.
He said the House is investigating and will act on a referral if it finds grounds, and noted that federal entities and independent oversight bodies are also investigating. Peña Payano said La Fortaleza will wait for each investigation to run its course, because comments from the Executive could be misread as an instruction to investigators, and that Governor Jenniffer González will decide afterward.
Parés said he will submit a partial report on the Power Expectations investigation in the coming days and refer his findings to state and federal authorities.