An alleged new case of corruption inherited from Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s administration regarding irregularities in bidding processes was exposed by journalist Raymundo Riva Palacio.
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In his column for El Financiero, the journalist addresses irregularities in the bidding process to modernize toll collection equipment on highways, as the first step toward mass implementation of the TAG (Tags for the Promotion of Public Administrations) on the Capufe highway network.
However, the process ended up marred by accusations of corruption, favoritism, and irregularities that have already triggered internal investigations and criminal complaints.
According to the journalist, the case reflects the internal conflicts within Morena between those seeking to clean up the corruption that—he claims—“the Andrés Manuel López Obrador administration inherited” and those seeking to maintain privileges obtained in the past.
In Riva Palacio’s words:
“President Claudia Sheinbaum says she’s committed to fighting corruption, but sweeping the first floor of the transformation is proving more difficult than she could have imagined.”
According to Riva Palacio, the bidding process included 18 projects to modernize the electronic toll system in Capufe, the FONADIN Concessioned Highway Network, and the Mexico-Puebla Highway.
The process left many companies dissatisfied, as only 11 of those projects were awarded and 7 were left unbidden.
The journalist recalled that columnist Alberto Aguilar, in El Sol de México, had already warned about the irregularities.
Aguilar explained that highly experienced multinational companies, such as the Austrian company Kapsch and the Japanese company Hitachi, were disqualified despite their track record in toll systems.
In contrast, the Mexican company Ofi Store emerged as the winner, winning six bids.
According to both columnists, the company’s bid was 140% above the current suppliers’ price and 322% more expensive than the lowest bids.
Furthermore, according to experts cited by Aguilar, the company allegedly specializes in stationery services and has no experience with electronic toll systems.
However, Ofi Store denied Aguilar’s information and asserted that it has no political ties. In a letter, the company explained that it has 30 years of experience in technology solutions and that the winning bids were obtained because it was the most “solvent” option.
The company, according to Aguilar, established itself as a favored contractor during the López Obrador administration and now maintains a presence in Claudia Sheinbaum’s administration.
In his column, Aguilar wrote:
“Ofi Store, owned by Claudia María Rincón Pérez and Miguel Cardona Utrilla, has been a frequent participant in multimillion-dollar tenders in various sectors since Enrique Peña Nieto. It consolidated under AMLO and remains active under Claudia Sheinbaum.”
The complaints, the journalist says, did not remain mere complaints.
According to Riva Palacio, several companies filed criminal complaints for possible fraud, corruption, and abuse of authority.
Among those accused is Óscar Ramírez Cruz, then a Capufe official, whom OfiStore itself accredited as an expert in the field while still on the agency’s payroll.
The complaints documented irregularities such as incomplete testing, use of unauthorized software, irregular hours, and a lack of transparent oversight.
This led to the dismissal of officials, including Martha Elena Meza Olivares, deputy director of Electronic Toll Systems, and the head of Capufe’s Internal Control Body, José Álvaro Vaqueiro.
An official from the Ministry of Communications and Transportation quoted by Riva Palacio stated that the investigations “are going very well,” although the affected business owners remain skeptical.
According to Aguilar, the July 31 bidding process was the starting point for making the use of the TAG mandatory starting in January 2026.
The official goal is to reduce the annual losses of 10 billion pesos from cash payments at toll booths.
However, both columnists agree that the scandal casts doubt on Capufe’s ability to carry out an orderly transition.
The modernization of the system, which sought efficiency and transparency, ended up trapped in old corruption practices that continue to plague the current government.
After an alleged corruption case involving OFI Store came to light, the company denied the accusations and asserted that it has more than 30 years of experience.
“It is false that OFI Store lacks experience or technical capacity in the field. The company is 100% Mexican and has more than 30 years of experience specializing in information technology solutions, infrastructure, telecommunications, electronic security, and operational control,” the company stated in a letter sent to Político MX.
According to the company, its relationship with Capufe began in 2014 and they have always met the technical and administrative requirements.
OFI Store also denied that the bids it won were the result of political agreements.
“It is also false and defamatory to insinuate that OFI Store was favored by political ties. Its participation in contracting procedures has always strictly adhered to the Law on Procurement, Leasing, and Public Sector Services. There has never been any sanction or accusation from any government authority in all the processes in which it has participated.”
Source: politico
