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Mar 09New political scandal rocks presidential desk
For the second time this year, a public servant –as government officials are regularly called- has been linked to a shameful illicit association. Roberto Dobles, now former Minister of the Environment, Energy and Tele-communications has been asked to resign by President Arias due to evidence that linked him to a mining concession that was granted to relatives of the aforementioned.
An Uncle of his was listed as vicepresident of Agricultura Mecanizada Chapernal, company which was allowed to exploit the rock and gravel resources available in the Arajuez River area. Even his wife was found to be member of the conglomerate of shady associates that dealt in the endless chain of ownerships created to conceal the illegal grant.
Arias –second cousin to Dobles- has declared his disgust over the event and defended the integrity of the ex-functionary. Channel 7 –as ever poignant- had firstly exposed the matter to public scrutiny and now the P.A.C. has called for official investigation.
The Ministry has now fallen in the hands of Jorge Rodriguez who served as vice-minister to Dobles, and it is likely he will also suffer scrutiny for similar effects. The long list of corruption related affairs in the process of discovery for this office has awakened the anger of such environment protection agencies as FECON (Costa Rican Federation of Conservationism) who declared they would parade before the Ministry to show their happiness over the dismissal.