Filling in 6 references using Reflinks |
Majogomezsz (talk | contribs) Change irrelevant information |
||
Line 76: | Line 76: | ||
(*)Conversion from simple to dual cycle |
(*)Conversion from simple to dual cycle |
||
After the electrical crisis of 2009, Venezuelan government authorities developed a plan for “armoring” against blackouts Venezuela´s main city and Capital Caracas denominated “Blindaje Eléctrico de Caracas” <ref name=Soberania.org>{{cite news|url=http://www.soberania.org/Articulos/articulo_7127.htm |title= Corpoelec continúa blindaje eléctrico de la Gran Caracas |date=March 10, 2012 | accessdate=November 04, 2014}}</ref> This plan consists of several power plants around Capital city which were to be operational by 2012. |
|||
In February 2013, Venezuelan newspaper El Nacional reported that Derwick had been assigned 70% of the responsibility to increase generating capacity in the [[Caracas]] metropolitan area.<ref>[http://www.el-nacional.com/economia/generacion-dirigio-Caracas-Zulia-Anzoategui_0_130189018.html 70% de nueva generación en 2012 se dirigió a Caracas, Zulia y Anzoátegui ''El Nacional'', 04 Feb 2013] Retrieved 13 Feb 2013.</ref> |
In February 2013, Venezuelan newspaper El Nacional reported that Derwick had been assigned 70% of the responsibility to increase generating capacity in the [[Caracas]] metropolitan area.<ref>[http://www.el-nacional.com/economia/generacion-dirigio-Caracas-Zulia-Anzoategui_0_130189018.html 70% de nueva generación en 2012 se dirigió a Caracas, Zulia y Anzoátegui ''El Nacional'', 04 Feb 2013] Retrieved 13 Feb 2013.</ref> |
||
In December 2013, a fail in the conduct of a 765kv tower caused a national power outage in Venezuela. The city of Caracas was the first one to recover, on an average of 30 minutes time, thanks to the ring of power plants set up around Caracas and formed by five new electric plants built by Derwick (Picure, Guarenas I and II, and La Raisa I and II). |
|||
⚫ | |||
⚫ | |||
The first published allegation of wrongdoing by Derwick Associates occurred in 2011 when Venezuelan newspaper [[Ultimas Noticias]]'s [[Cesar Batiz]] published an investigative series alleging overbilling and odd transactions between BARIVEN and Derwick Associates. The investigation uncovered that the son of the government official awarding a power plant contract to Derwick had shipped a 1959 Porsche automobile using Derwick Associates office address on the shipment and importation paperwork.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.ultimasnoticias.com.ve/noticias/ciudad/parroquias/ipys-reconoce-investigacion-de-periodista-de-un.aspx |title=Ipys reconoce investigación de periodista de ÚN | Últimas Noticias |publisher=Ultimasnoticias.com.ve |date= |accessdate=2014-03-29}}</ref> Days later an elected deputy to the country's National Assembly called for an investigation of how the Derwick contracts were awarded <ref name="ElUniversal"/> |
|||
⚫ | On September 13, 2012, Derwick Associates Corp. and its co-founders, Leopoldo Betancourt López and Pedro Trebbau López, filed a lawsuit in Miami-Dade Circuit Court, charging that |
||
⚫ | On September 13, 2012, Derwick Associates Corp. and its co-founders, Leopoldo Betancourt López and Pedro Trebbau López, filed a lawsuit in Miami-Dade Circuit Court, charging that it had suffered severe damage to its reputation as a result of actions by the Caracas-based bank [[Banco Venezolano de Crédito|Venezolano de Credito SA Banco Universal]], by the bank's former president and chairman, Óscar García Mendoza, and by Rafael Alfonzo Hernández, a member of the bank's board. The suit, according to one account, "alleged defamation of Derwick, Betancourt and Trebbau; tortious interference with contract and with business relationships; deceptive and unfair trade practices; and civil conspiracy." The company sought 300 million in damages. <ref name="Bolado2013-04-19">Bolado, Carolina. (April 19, 2013). "[http://www.law360.com/articles/430835/venezuelan-bank-settles-energy-co-s-300m-defamation-suit Venezuelan Bank Settles Energy Co.'s $300M Defamation Suit]", ''[[Law360]]''</ref> |
||
⚫ | The |
||
⚫ | The premise of the lawsuit was that García Mendoza and Alfonzo Hernandez were connected with the anonymous Spanish-language website www.wikianticorrupcion.org, which had accused Derwick of criminal corruption.[16] García Mendoza denied that he, the bank, or Alfonzo Hernandez had committed any of the actions that they were charged with, <ref name=ElMundoDos>{{cite news|url=http://www.elmundo.com.ve/noticias/economia/banca/oscar-garcia-mendoza---tomaremos-las-acciones-que-.aspx |title=Oscar García Mendoza: "Tomaremos las acciones que sean necesarias" |author=Díaz-Bandres, Gustavo |date=September 18, 2012 |work=[[El Mundo (Venezuela)|El Mundo]] |location=Venezuela |accessdate=November 25, 2012}}</ref> and filed a motion to dismiss, in which they argued that "Derwick had failed to allege enough facts showing that the defendants controlled the content of the website or made the allegedly defamatory online statements"<ref name="Bolado2013-04-19">Bolado, Carolina. (April 19, 2013). "[http://www.law360.com/articles/430835/venezuelan-bank-settles-energy-co-s-300m-defamation-suit Venezuelan Bank Settles Energy Co.'s $300M Defamation Suit]", ''[[Law360]]''</ref>. After Derwick had taken legal action against Banco Venezolano de Crédito, the bank regulator (Sudeban) prohibited the bank to distribute dividend until solving the litigation<ref name="Noticias Venezolanas">[http://www.noticiasvenezolanas.com.ve/index.php/213394/hora-menguada-para-oscar-garcia-mendoza-sudeban-exige-al-bvc-no-repartir-dividendos/ ]{{dead link|date=April 2014}}</ref>. The parties reached a settlement out of court, and the case was dismissed [[Prejudice (legal procedure)|with prejudice]]. |
||
In July 2013, [[Otto Reich]], who had previously served as the US Ambassador to Venezuela and as a senior State Department Official, filed suit in New York Federal Court alleging that Derwick Associates had bribed several Venezuelan government officials in order to secure contracts to build power stations. Reich's legal complaint was filed under the provisions of the [[Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organizations Act]], known as RICO, a United States federal law from the 1970s designed to dismantle organized crime. Specifically, Reich's lawsuit alleged that [[Rafael Ramírez]], the oil minister and the president of Venezuela's state oil company PdVSA, received bribes that resulted in Derwick receiving no-bid contracts to build four power plants in Venezuela in 2010.<ref name="online.wsj.com"/> Reich also alleged that defendants Derwick Associates, [[Leopoldo Alejandro Betancourt Lopez]], Pedro Trebbau Lopez, and Francisco D'Agostino had defamed him and damaged his business during Derwick's previous court action against Banco Venezolano.<ref>"[http://online.wsj.com/article/APdeb5d17838724f3897ca0ef386253eae.html Former US ambassador to Venezuela files bribe suit]", (July 31, 2013).''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'. Retrieved August 1, 2013.</ref> |
|||
In July 2013, [[Otto Reich]], who had previously served as the US Ambassador to Venezuela, filed a suit in the New York federal court alleging that executives at Derwick Associates had bribed Venezuelan officials in order to secure contracts to build power stations, and that they had defamed him and damaged his business during the time of their previous court action against Banco Venezolano.<ref>"[http://online.wsj.com/article/APdeb5d17838724f3897ca0ef386253eae.html Former US ambassador to Venezuela files bribe suit]", (July 31, 2013).''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'. Retrieved August 1, 2013.</ref>. Countering this, an editorial in the online publication Primicias24 argued that, in their view, the "evidence presented was not conclusive". |
|||
In March 2014, [[Thor Leonardo Halvorssen Mendoza]] filed suit against Derwick Associates, [[Leopoldo Alejandro Betancourt Lopez]], Pedro Trebbau Lopez, and Francisco D'Agostino had defamed him and damaged his business during Derwick's previous court action against Banco Venezolano. Halvorssen accusing Derwick and its directors of damaging his reputation after Derwick's attorneys sent letters to [[Forbes magazine]] and to the [[Huffington Post]] website questioning his integrity and professionalism. Halvorssen's suit alleges that Derwick and its principals paid a $50,000,000 bribe to [[Diosdado Cabello]], speaker of the Venezuelan Assembly.<ref name="miamiherald.com"/> Joe DeMaria, Derwick's attorney, said Halvorssen’s allegations are absolutely false. Additionally, the Bank alleged to have received the payment, [[Banesco]] in Panama, also denied the allegation.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.elnuevoherald.com/2014/03/29/1713389/banesco-desmiente-el-pago-de-50.html |title=Banesco desmiente el pago de $50 millones a Cabello a través de ese banco - Venezuela |publisher=ElNuevoHerald |date= |accessdate=2014-04-01 |language=es}}</ref> Halvorssen released a statement stating: "My attorneys and others working with them have conducted a thorough investigation into every allegation. We will require the defendants to provide documents and answers to questions under oath before and during the trial."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.eluniversal.com/nacional-y-politica/140328/demandan-a-diosdado-cabello-en-miami-por-supuestos-sobornos-en-venezue |title=Demandan a Diosdado Cabello en Miami por supuestos sobornos en Venezuela - Nacional y Política |publisher=Eluniversal.com |date=2014-03-28 |accessdate=2014-04-01}}</ref> |
|||
==References== |
==References== |
Revision as of 15:19, 1 April 2014
Native name | Derwick Associates de Venezuela SA |
---|---|
Industry | Energy |
Founded | 2007 |
Founder | Alejandro Betancourt López Pedro Trebbau López |
Headquarters | |
Products | Electrical power Natural gas |
Services | Engineering Power-plant construction |
Website | derwickassociates |
Derwick Associates is a primarily Venezuelan engineering company. It is a contractor of the government of Venezuela. Derwick's first project was the Engineering Procurement and Construction (EPC) of Picure Power Plant in Vargas State for 156 MW, awarded by the state-owned Electricidad de Caracas in 2009. It was soon followed by 11 more contracts from the Venezuelan government with different state-owned entities such as PDVSA, CVG and Corpoelec during the 2009 - 2010 energy crisis in Venezuela.[1] In 2011, Derwick was the subject of an investigative journalism series in Venezuela's Últimas Noticias newspaper regarding alleged overbilling by the company.[2][3] Currently, the company and its executives are the target of two lawsuits alleging that company officials paid bribes and engaged in overbilling.[4][5] The company denies the accusations of bribery and overbilling.
Venezuelan power station contract
The firm's first project was the award of 12 contracts for the construction of power stations in Venezuela during a 2009-2010 energy crisis in that country. Four contracts were awarded by state-owned Electricidad de Caracas (which in December 2011 became part of Corpoelec), five by state-owned Petróleos de Venezuela SA (PDVSA, with the contract negotiated by Bariven, a division of PDVSA), and one by state-owned Venezuelan Guayana Corporation (CVG). In five of the contracts Ultimas Noticias, Venezuela's biggest-circulation daily newspaper, has said that Derwick failed to meet completion dates.[6]
Client | Number | Power Station | State | Power (MW ISO) |
---|---|---|---|---|
CVG | 1 | Sidor Planta A | Bolivar | 181 |
CORPOELEC | 2 | La Raisa I | Miranda | 180 |
CORPOELEC | 3 | La Raisa II | Miranda | 100 |
CORPOELEC | 4 | Guarenas I | Miranda | 108 |
CORPOELEC | 5 | Guarenas II | Miranda | 48 |
CORPOELEC | 6 | Margarita (*) | N. España | - |
CORPOELEC | 7 | Picure | Vargas | 140 |
PDVSA | 8 | Las Morochas | Zulia | 22 |
PDVSA | 9 | Barinas I | Barinas | 100 |
PDVSA | 10 | El Furrial | Monagas | 232 |
PDVSA | 11 | Morichal | Monagas | 105 |
(*)Conversion from simple to dual cycle
After the electrical crisis of 2009, Venezuelan government authorities developed a plan for “armoring” against blackouts Venezuela´s main city and Capital Caracas denominated “Blindaje Eléctrico de Caracas” [8] This plan consists of several power plants around Capital city which were to be operational by 2012.
In February 2013, Venezuelan newspaper El Nacional reported that Derwick had been assigned 70% of the responsibility to increase generating capacity in the Caracas metropolitan area.[9]
In December 2013, a fail in the conduct of a 765kv tower caused a national power outage in Venezuela. The city of Caracas was the first one to recover, on an average of 30 minutes time, thanks to the ring of power plants set up around Caracas and formed by five new electric plants built by Derwick (Picure, Guarenas I and II, and La Raisa I and II).
Legal activity
On September 13, 2012, Derwick Associates Corp. and its co-founders, Leopoldo Betancourt López and Pedro Trebbau López, filed a lawsuit in Miami-Dade Circuit Court, charging that it had suffered severe damage to its reputation as a result of actions by the Caracas-based bank Venezolano de Credito SA Banco Universal, by the bank's former president and chairman, Óscar García Mendoza, and by Rafael Alfonzo Hernández, a member of the bank's board. The suit, according to one account, "alleged defamation of Derwick, Betancourt and Trebbau; tortious interference with contract and with business relationships; deceptive and unfair trade practices; and civil conspiracy." The company sought 300 million in damages. [10]
The premise of the lawsuit was that García Mendoza and Alfonzo Hernandez were connected with the anonymous Spanish-language website www.wikianticorrupcion.org, which had accused Derwick of criminal corruption.[16] García Mendoza denied that he, the bank, or Alfonzo Hernandez had committed any of the actions that they were charged with, [11] and filed a motion to dismiss, in which they argued that "Derwick had failed to allege enough facts showing that the defendants controlled the content of the website or made the allegedly defamatory online statements"[10]. After Derwick had taken legal action against Banco Venezolano de Crédito, the bank regulator (Sudeban) prohibited the bank to distribute dividend until solving the litigation[12]. The parties reached a settlement out of court, and the case was dismissed with prejudice.
In July 2013, Otto Reich, who had previously served as the US Ambassador to Venezuela, filed a suit in the New York federal court alleging that executives at Derwick Associates had bribed Venezuelan officials in order to secure contracts to build power stations, and that they had defamed him and damaged his business during the time of their previous court action against Banco Venezolano.[13]. Countering this, an editorial in the online publication Primicias24 argued that, in their view, the "evidence presented was not conclusive".
References
- ^ Luis Carías Toscano. "Derwick ha edificado 11 plantas termoeléctricas que generan 1.386 MW". El-nacional.com. Retrieved 2014-03-29.
- ^ César Batiz (September 26, 2011). "Compras con sobreprecio en la emergencia eléctrica". Ultimas Noticias. Retrieved November 25, 2012.
- ^ "Ipys premia serie "Trampas Eléctricas" de ÚN". Retrieved November 25, 2012.
- ^ José de Córdoba (2013-07-31). "Suit Alleges Graft in Venezuelan Contracts". Online.wsj.com. Retrieved 2014-04-01.
- ^ Maria, Antonio (2014-03-27). "Lawsuit filed in Miami accuses Venezuela top official, Diosdado Cabello, of bribery - Venezuela". Miami Herald. Retrieved 2014-04-01.
- ^ "Mesa de unidad exige investigar plan de inversiones electricas". Retrieved November 25, 2012.
- ^ "Derwick ha concluído sus trabajos en otras tres termoeléctricas que aportan 437 MW adicionales". Retrieved October 25, 2013.
- ^ "Corpoelec continúa blindaje eléctrico de la Gran Caracas". March 10, 2012. Retrieved November 04, 2014.
{{cite news}}
: Check date values in:|accessdate=
(help) - ^ 70% de nueva generación en 2012 se dirigió a Caracas, Zulia y Anzoátegui El Nacional, 04 Feb 2013 Retrieved 13 Feb 2013.
- ^ a b Bolado, Carolina. (April 19, 2013). "Venezuelan Bank Settles Energy Co.'s $300M Defamation Suit", Law360
- ^ Díaz-Bandres, Gustavo (September 18, 2012). "Oscar García Mendoza: "Tomaremos las acciones que sean necesarias"". El Mundo. Venezuela. Retrieved November 25, 2012.
- ^ [1][dead link]
- ^ "Former US ambassador to Venezuela files bribe suit", (July 31, 2013).The Wall Street Journal'. Retrieved August 1, 2013.