Wanda Vasquez was sued for $ 5 million for defamation in a source scandal

Former legislature adviser Eduardo “Tito” Larano Martinez last Friday sued former governor Wanda Vasquez for $ 5 million, accusing him of defamation by linking him to last year’s Covit-19 test scandal.

LaRano was an adviser to former Governor Ricardo Rochelle and also had consulting agreements with the University of Puerto Rico (UPR) medical science campus.. Since March last year, the Vasquez government has been embroiled in government corruption after it approved the purchase of a quick $ 38 million Covid-19 test from a construction company, Apex Consulting. Similarly, it stated that the purchased tests did not have the approval of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA, its acronym in English). This transaction was later canceled.

In his case, Larano Martinez demanded $ 5 million in damages for damages caused by public exposure of Vasquez. Plaintiff “Defendant Vasquez sought a general correction in the same degree and relevance as the press conference held on April 16, 2020.”

According to Larano Martinez, at the press conference, the governor involved the plaintiff in a $ 38 million failed transaction. When he presented himself to the media, Vasquez referred to Larano Martinez and ordered the cancellation of all contracts he might have with the government since he promised to want a “clean government”. The president, at the time, ordered the cancellation of the contracts of Juan Maldonado and Apex with the government.

The number of Larano Martinez was revealed after a text message was exchanged between Maldonado and the Rector of the Medical Sciences Campus, and the former director of the task force, Governor Secundo Rodriguez. In this news, Maldonado wrote a letter to Rodriguez, who received his phone number from Larano Martinez. At the time, after being mentioned in the news, Larano, in an interview with Metro, withdrew himself from the transaction.

“The statements made by the media are false, malicious and defamatory. Argued in his eight-page case.

The news was clearly defamatory, with the clear meaning that the government and the procurement of these Govt-19 tests were dirty and that all contracts should be taken from the plaintiff and that the government should be cleansed by cancellation. Plaintiff’s contracts must be “clean.” An expression of the plaintiff’s guilt, “the lawsuit said.

Similarly, officials associated with the Vasquez administration are being investigated for these incidents, said Larano Martinez.

“What Vasquez Corset should have known and should have known is that his own trusted staff and special assistants were recommended to the Office of the Independent Special Advocate (FEI) for the possible commission of criminal activity in the purchase of the Govit-19 trials. We emphasize that the plaintiff was aware of the purchase and had no connection with such circumstances, “he added.

Larano Martinez added that he was not a public figure and had no connection with Apex or the purchase of these quick tests.

“Circumstances experienced as of April 16, 2020 represent the plaintiff’s life forever, causing serious damage to his image, name and reputation, both in the development of his business and in the daily exposure of his life. .

The case is the second defamation suit Vasquez faces for revelations against former officials or people associated with the government. In May last year, former Undersecretary of State Itza Garcia also sued the former president, demanding $ 5 million in compensation from his charges. He was slandered by revelations against him at a press conference while announcing those involved in the WhatsApp chat investigation.

See Case:

They sued Wanda Vasquez Issued by Puerto Rico Metro In the script