MPs Manouchehri and Cicardini Call for Investigation into Public Resource Misuse for Private Celebration at La Moneda

Original article: Manouchehri y Cicardini (PS) denuncian en Contraloría uso de recursos públicos en celebración de excompañeros de Kast en La Moneda

Deputy Daniel Manouchehri and Senator Daniella Cicardini, both from the PS party, have filed a complaint with the General Comptroller of the Republic seeking an investigation into the possible misuse of public funds for a social gathering of former colleagues of President José Antonio Kast held at La Moneda.

The complaint is based on evidence, photographs, and press publications describing a social event that took place in the palace’s halls during work hours, featuring an official menu, institutional staff service, and attendance from guests connected to the President’s law generation at the Catholic University.

According to the legislators, the issue is not that the President meets with his former university classmates. However, they argue that if a personal celebration was organized in La Moneda with waitstaff, service, food during working hours, and state resources, it is appropriate for the Comptroller to determine whether administrative probity has been violated and if public assets were used for non-institutional purposes.

In their presentation, Manouchehri and Cicardini requested information on the nature and purpose of the event, the list of attendees, the facilities used, the staff assigned to the event, associated costs, the corresponding budget allocation, and any possible private reimbursements.

In summary, the request aims to determine if a private social activity was carried out with state resources and whether there was sufficient institutional justification to commit public funds for such an occasion.

“Using public resources for private celebrations is serious. What comes next? Parties for children funded by all Chileans? La Moneda is not a private estate,” stated Daniel Manouchehri.

The legislator added that “the President can meet with whomever he wants in his personal life. However, he cannot charge the State for a celebration of ex-classmates and use the government house as a social hall. Public resources are meant to serve Chile, not to finance private camaraderie.”

Senator Daniella Cicardini emphasized that “public resources are not meant to cover university nostalgia, especially when it is said that there is no money. No one questions whom the President meets, but he cannot use La Moneda as if it were his private barbecue.”

In this vein, Cicardini highlighted that “the Comptroller must clarify who authorized this, how much it cost, and why resources from all Chileans were used for an event that is not institutional at all.”

The legislators expressed hope that the Comptroller acts swiftly to clarify the circumstances and establish any administrative responsibilities should improper use of public resources be confirmed.