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Colombians are debating whether hiring a shaman to ensure it didn't rain during last year's Under 20 FIFA World Cup was a misuse of public funds or money well spent
BOGOTA (TrustLaw) - Is hiring a witch doctor to ensure it doesn’t rain during a major sporting event a misuse of public funds or money well spent?
It’s a question that has been hotly debated in Colombia following recent revelations that a local witch doctor or shaman was paid $2,200 by Bogota authorities to make sure it didn’t rain during the closing ceremony of the Under-20 FIFA World Cup hosted by Colombia last summer.
The revelations are part of an ongoing enquiry headed by Bogota’s comptroller’s office into alleged irregularities over the awarding of contracts and cost overruns of more than $1 million, including the multimillion-dollar closing ceremony of the football event last August.
Public opinion seems to have sided with the shaman.
“At least he carried out the duties he was hired to do and didn’t steal money from anyone like the politicians do,” said one Colombian during a phone-in on local radio.
The issue has shed a spotlight on rampant corruption in the public sector in Colombia.
“In a country where corruption reaches tens of millions of dollars, the scandal sparked over paying a shaman $2,200, is a bit absurd,” Colombia’s weekly news magazine, La Semana, said.
Major corruption scandals have dominated local headlines in recent months.
Last year, Bogota’s former mayor, Samuel Moreno, was sent to jail over alleged corruption involving infrastructure contracts in the capital. Moreno, who is awaiting trial, is accused of fraudulently granting multi-million-dollar public works contracts to companies and local businessmen in exchange for payment.
Oh, and by the way, it didn’t rain.
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