Two universities in Sinaloa are under investigation by the Superior Auditor of the Federation due to management failures and the US$13.6 million that’s missing from state coffers.

Text by Marcos Vizcarra, originally published February 1, 2022 by Revista Espejo.

Translated by Dawn Marie Paley for Pie de Página in English.

Former Sinaloa governor Quirino Ordaz Coppel is traveling to the Mexican Embassy in Spain with two criminal complaints against his administration pending: one against the Sinaloa Polytechnical University (UPSIN) and another against the Autonomous Intercultural University of Sinaloa (UAIS).

The denunciations were lodged by the Superior Auditor of the Federation (ASF) following the discovery of irregularities in spending, which together add up to $281,460,000 pesos (over US$13.6 million) missing from state coffers.

The accusations by the ASF question the use of the money. The UAIS participated in the scheme known as the “Master Fraud” during the Enrique Peña Nieto Administration, for which its ex-secretary Rosario Robles is currently imprisoned while on trial.

Animal Político and Mexicanos Contra la Corrupción have investigated this case in detail, and their reports show how public universities in México signed agreements with secretariats and other federal dependencies for social projects, including studies, but that were later subcontracted via illegal contracts worth $7,670,000 pesos (US$372,000), of which $3,433,000 pesos (US$166,748) are still missing.

One of the universities involved was the UAIS, which received $122,888,000 pesos (US$5.96 million) to carry out projects with the Secretariat of Territorial and Urban Development, as well as the Institute for the Administration and Valuation of Public Goods (INDAABIN).

The same money triangulation strategy was also documented at the UPSIN by the Supreme Auditor of the Federation.

According to audit number 2018-4-99059-23-0173-2019, the UPSIN used at least $35,709,000 pesos (US$1.7 million) to pay the following companies: Solufidex, S.C.; Ixma Sistemas, TI, S.A. de C.V.; Redes Atarashi, S.A. de C.V.; Stai y Asociados DPM, S.A. de C.V.; and Balena Medios, S.A. de C.V.

All of those companies were subcontractors, because the UPSIN didn’t have the technical abilities, supplies or human resources to carry out the digitization of the archives of the National Fishery Commission (CONAPESCA).

In any case, most of the work was never carried out. In addition, the ASF found the companies didn’t have the employees required or provide evidence of having worked on similar projects. They are now under investigation by the Tax Administration Service (SAT) for being dummy companies (empresas fantasmas).

On January 3rd, it was announced that Jorge Luis Guevara Reynaga, the dean of UPSIN –who was recently appointed by governor Rubén Rocha Moya– had resigned. In a video message, Guevara Reynaga stated that the university is undergoing a deep financial crisis due to unjustified salary increases, a lack of transparency and accountability with regards to excessive operational and other expenses, a lack of tax payments and an increase in loyalty hires, among other issues.

The complaints made by the ASF against both universities remain active, according to its website. To date, the irregularities have not been explained.

This report was originally published by Revista Espejo, which is part of the Media Alliance organized by Red de Periodistas de a Pie. You can read the original here.

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