Source: El Heraldo

Tegucigalpa, Honduras

The businessman, Shucri Kafie, voluntarily presented himself before justice due to the statements issued regarding the case involving Instituto Hondureño de Seguridad Social (IHSS). As mentioned in Dimesa’s official statement sent to El Heraldo and quoted below: “The businessman, Schucry Kafie, addresses the false accusations against him, rejects any reference against himself or Dimesa, and at the same time confirms his right to, voluntarily and authorized by the court, demonstrate his adherence to the law.”

Schucry  Kafie heads a national business group committed to the country, which has invested in the development of Honduras for over 75 years. Instituto Hondureño de Seguridad Social (IHSS) unilaterally determined the cancellation of the contract held with Dimesa. It should be emphasized that, contrary to what has been reported in some media, this agreement cannot be viewed as a simple quote for the value of the equipment, but as an integral service covering much more than just the provision of equipment. This included, in addition to the financing, maintenance and parts supply, repairs, spare parts and accessories, as well as training sessions.

DIMESA’s technical team at IHSS’s service included 85 health professionals, specialized in biomedicine. There is documentation that support the costs proposed for both the equipment as for services rendered. In 2011, Dimesa signed a contract for comprehensive services with Instituto Hondureño de Seguridad Social (IHSS), through a competitive international bidding process after going through all the legal steps and governmental organizations for approval. The contract lasted 84 months, equivalent to seven years, but the Board of Auditors interrupted such in the 40th month after terminating it on January 31, 2015. From this date forward, DIMESA ceased providing services. This agreement made it possible to care for more than 50,000 additional annual patients, substantially increasing patient care in various medical needs within the IHSS, since the beginning of the contract in 2011.

Today, IHSS owns the most modern biomedical equipment of all the hospitals in Honduras as can be seen by visiting its facilities. The contract included:

• 558 new-tech equipment included MRI’s, CT, X-Rays with fluoroscopy, towers for neurosurgeries, mechanical ventilators, neonatal incubators, towers for endourology, among other new equipment;
• 190 radiation protection accessories;
• immediate repair of the 350 equipment already installed at IHSS;
• Dimesa financed all these equipments and provided the training, preventive and remedial monthly maintenance, supply of unlimited parts, spares, and accessories up to the termination date.
• A team of 85 health professionals (70 biomedical and 15 supervisors) specialized at high level medical care. Dimesa has carried out an orderly transition of responsibilities in which full operation of the equipment and services did not affect the patients.
• Provided maintenance, preventive and corrective, with an unlimited supply of spare parts for all the 908 pieces of equipment that make up the contract.

“We are a 36 year old company in the health industry. Our priority is Honduran people’s health.”

Source: La Prensa

Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

Mr. Shucri Kafie confirmed his voluntary submission to justice due to the accusations against him in the case of Instituto Hondureño de Seguridad Social (IHSS).

In an official statement issued by Dimesa, Kafie rejects the false accusations made against him and Dimesa, which is quoted below:

“Mr. Schucry Kafie, regarding the false accusations against him and his company, rejects any reference to himself or Dimesa and at the same time confirms his right to voluntarily and authorized by the court to demonstrate his adherence to the law.

The Board of Auditors of the Instituto Hondureño de Seguridad Social (IHSS) reported that they unilaterally terminated the contract held with Dimesa. It should be emphasized that, contrary to what has been reported in some media, this agreement cannot be viewed as a simple quote for the value of the equipment, but as an integral service covering much more than just the provision of equipment.

This included in addition to the financing, maintenance, supply, repairs, providing unlimited spare parts and accessories, also training for the equipment operators. DIMESA’s contract came into being on 2011, due to a competitive international bidding after going through all the legal steps and governmental organizations for approval. The contract lasted 84 months, equivalent to seven years, but the Board of Auditors interrupted such in the 40th month after terminating it on January 31, 2015. From this date forward, DIMESA ceased providing services.

This agreement provoked a substantial increase in patient care in various medical needs within the IHSS.

Source: La Tribuna

Because of the charges pressed against him and Dimesa, Schucry Kafie emphatically rejects any reference to himself and his company, Dimesa, and confirms his right to voluntarily and authorized by the court to demonstrate his adherence to the law.

Kafie heads a business group strongly committed to invest in the development of the country for over seven decades and rejects all the charges that were brought against him and Dimesa, one of the health care providers of the Instituto Hondureño de Seguridad Social (IHSS), whose contract was canceled unilaterally by the IHSS’s Board of Auditors.

In a statement issued by the company, “Dimesa’s contract entered into force in 2011 due to a competitive international bidding process, fulfilling all the requirements from the State. The contract lasted 84 months, equivalent to seven years,” however, “the Board of Auditors interrupted such in the 40th month after terminating it on January 31, 2015. From this date forward, DIMESA ceased providing services, despite an evident substantial increase of patient care services related to various medical needs within the IHSS, obtaining an annual increase of care for more than 50,000 additional annual patients,” the article stated.

According to Dimesa, “This contract cannot be valued as a simple quote for the cost of the equipment, but it was an integral service covering much more than just the provision of such.”

The article states, “In addition to the financing, maintenance and supply of parts, repairs, and accessories, it also included personnel training. Regard this, the equipment financed by the company went under a monthly preventive and remedial maintenance were parts were supplied as well as all the accessories needed in an unlimited fashion, until the termination of the contract.”

It was also required that, “The technical team that Dimesa offered a group of 85 health professionals specialized in biomedicine were offered, 70 of them were biomedical  equipment experts and 15 were biomedical equipment supervisors. As of today, the IHSS counts with the most modern biomedical equipment of all hospitals in the country.”

On the other hand, “The contract included 558 biomedical equipment, including MRI’s, CT scans, fluoroscopy X-rays, towers for neurosurgeries, mechanical ventilators, neonatal incubators, towers for endourology, and 190 radiation protection accessories.”

In addition, “We have documentation that support costs for both the equipment and services rendered.”

Finally, “Dimesa carried out an orderly transition of responsibilities with IHSS and ensured the full operation of the equipment and services.”

Source: La Tribuna

A Judicial Judge from the Criminal Court of Tegucigalpa, today, ordered the suspension of the precautionary measures ordered to the representatives of Dimesa, Schucry Kafie Larach and Juan Alberto Madrid Casaca.

The defendant’s attorney, Tito Hernández, stated at the hearing of revision of measures that, “The judge has agreed to suspend the measures imposed to my clients under the condition to pay bail for an exorbitant amount.”

However, he declared that, “We will submit this as additional evidence to prove that my clients have always acted in accordance to the law and they have the right to lawfully defend themselves without incarceration.”

It has been quite shocking for the defendants to be accused of fraud considering that the IHSS terminated the contract that has generated such controversy, causing possible economic damages against the company, and after all, the equipment was left under the IHSS’s care.

Dimesa declares that the project manager, Mauricio Bueso, “Has fully complied with and provided maintenance to all the biometric equipment until the date of the unilateral termination of the contract was stated.”

In addition to this, there were still others being accused such as Edgardo Quiroz Moreno, Mario Zelaya, and Jose Ramon Bertetti, the latter one benefitted from the measures, but the other two continue under imprisonment in the First Infantry Battalion.

DIMESA’s STATEMENT

DIMESA reports that the First for Criminal Matters of Francisco Morazán determined that their representatives, Schucry Kafie and Juan Alberto Madrid, will defend themselves without incarceration due to precautionary measures. To all the Honduran people, we communicate the following:

1. It is required to pay bail for an exorbitant amount of money. However, we will do all what it takes to comply with such as a way to demonstrate that our people and company have always abided the law and with this they may enjoy the right to defend themselves in freedom.
2. In Honduras, during the great majority of the alleged scam accusation cases the law allows the accused to defend themselves without incarceration due to precautionary measures particularly when compelling evidence has been presented to demonstrate their deep connection to the country and such has been accredited at the Criminal Court.
3. We have all the evidence that supports the actions around the contract signed between DIMESA and the Instituto Hondureño de Seguridad Social (IHSS) which have always been consistent with the law and focused on the Honduran people’s health. This contract was approved by legal and governmental organizations thus demonstrating the transparency of the competitive international bidding process which was previously carried out.
4. We wish to emphasize that DIMESA complied in full the contract with IHSS providing and maintaining 100% of the biomedical equipment until the date of the termination of the contract on January 31 of this year.

We hope that this will be the beginning of an unbiased process to clarify the innocence of our representatives and the company. We reiterate our commitment to contribute in a transparent legal process that guarantees such and focuses on the facts and truth.