Cancun, Quintana Roo — The comptroller of Benito Juarez municipality, Hilario Gutierrez Valasis, announced that his office has received approximately 17 complaints against local government officials so far this year.
“We have received about 10 to 12 complaints directly, and another four or five have gone to the Administrative Justice Tribunal,” Gutierrez said.
The comptroller’s office is responsible for compiling case files and determining whether accusations against officials are considered minor or serious. The office can initiate administrative proceedings or, in some cases, recommend dismissal of employees found to have committed irregularities.
“From the comptroller’s perspective, we will determine whether the sanction is serious or not serious. Not serious does not mean nothing happens; it can lead to disqualification for up to one year,” Gutierrez explained.
For serious sanctions, penalties can include fines, restitution of misused funds, disqualification, or even criminal prosecution if warranted, he added.
The departments with the most complaints are those with direct public contact, including Traffic, Tax Enforcement, Street Commerce, Treasury, and Urban Development.
Regarding recent cases of police officers caught on video in alleged corruption acts, Gutierrez confirmed that the comptroller’s office is investigating a traffic officer seen in a video circulating on social media.
In the case of a Tourist Police officer filmed in an alleged illegal payment, Gutierrez said he expects the Municipal Public Security Department to file a formal complaint to determine whether the conduct warrants administrative or criminal penalties.
