The National Narcotics Office, the government agency which handles properties seized from criminals with drug-related charges, mismanaged nearly 100,000 assets, Caracol Radio reported Monday.
According to a leaked confidential report from the Comptroller’s Office, 95,832 seized assets allegedly worth $271 million have irregularities. Of these assets, about 76,000 have been registered, but their actual statuses are unknown.
The report also documented that of the more than 400 employees of the DNE, 101 are undergoing investigations for overreaching authority, errors in evictions, fraud or misuse of assets, and altering the agency’s security system.
The comptroller also found that the agency was in severe financial crisis as well. The DNE reportedly owes the state $240 million, which should come from administering and selling assets, but the organization has only made $20 million and is falling short of meeting these budgetary demands.
The Colombian government is currently in the process of dismantling the corruption-riddled agency. Several members of Congress are being investigated for ties to the irregularities in the agency.
After the dissolution of the DNE, the administration of the seized assets from narco-traffickers will move to the hands of the Ministry of Finance. The Ministry of Finance will then determine to which other government entities the assets will be sent.
