The secretary general of the Association of State Workers (ATE/Zárate), Fernando Pérez, confirmed the report of a 140% overpricing in the contracting of cleaning services for the Atucha 1 and 2 nuclear power plants, Embalse, and the Hotel de Baradero, with an economic loss exceeding USD 6.5 million. In statements to Radio Splendid AM 990, he stated that the complaint to the president of Nucleoeléctrica Argentina, Demian Reidel, was prompted by engineer Juan Pablo Norazco, manager of the Atucha I and II plants, whose work is not linked to party politics, and who presented it to the Integrity Committee of Nucleoeléctrica Argentina. According to the Argentine News Agency, this case adds to other investigations within the orbit of Nucleoeléctrica Argentina, involving Reidel, whom Pérez points to as "the head of a group that would be contracting companies irregularly." The complaint arose from the contracting of a two-year cleaning service that, while it should have cost around USD 600,000, was signed for nearly USD 7 million. This 140% overpricing also became evident through the SAP system, an administrative system used to issue purchase orders and company contracts. The contract administrators at the plant, including accountant Camila Martina, refused to sign the documents, which led to detailed pressures detailed in engineer Norazco's complaint, which included WhatsApp messages, internal emails, phone calls, and surprise audits. To conclude, the secretary of ATE Zárate explained that according to the SAP system, the contracting was direct, without a tender, because there is only one supplier and overpriced figures were detected, and for this reason, Justice will have to investigate it, which would have already taken charge.
