For the Government this is an administrative error. Two deputy ministers realized they had thousands of colones extra in their paycheck every month. The other “did not realize” she was getting almost one million colones in her salary.
This is how three deputy ministers of this administration received about ¢50 million thanks to a wage incentive they should have never received. Each of them benefited from the “financial reward for a prohibition on practicing liberal professions”. That is, they were paid to not practice their profession in other companies. However, none of them has the title of “professional”.
Carmen Muñoz, deputy minister of the Interior and Police, does not even have a university degree and received nearly ¢900,000 of monthly salary, for a total of ¢11 million since she took office.
Ana Cristina Trejos, deputy minister of Housing, has not finished her career in Microbiology and Clinical Chemistry at the University of Costa Rica (UCR), but she still received about ¢10 million.
The Comptroller General of the Republic (CGR) indicated that both charges were irregular.
Now another woman is added to the list: deputy minister of the Presidency, Ana Gabriel Zúñiga Aponte, who received more than ¢30 million.
Legislator Karla Prendas described the situation as “organized crime”, while Sandra Piszk, legislator and former labor minister, was keen to criticize the three false beneficiaries of this administration and their “absolute lack of ethics”.
Ottón Solís, founder of Partido Acción Ciudadana (PAC), defended Zúñiga Aponte. However he said President Luis Guillermo Solís should have Muñoz and Trejos fired.
Muñoz and Trejos must return nearly ¢20 million to the State. The rules that will guide this return have not been revealed.