Report: ICE Telecom Head Committed Wrongdoings

THE former head of telecommunicationsfor the Costa Rican ElectricityInstitute (ICE), Alvaro Retana, shirkedhis duties and responsibilities as a publicemployee by traveling to the Czech capitalof Prague last year, according to areport issued by a special ICE commissionin charge of investigating the matter.Retana resigned last Tuesday, butdenied the decision was related to thetrip (TT, Aug. 6).Retana and two ICE board members– José Antonio Lobo and HernandoPantigoso – have been at the center of acontroversy that started last Octoberwhen they traveled to the Czech capitalof Prague with Ricardo Taylor, the topCosta Rican representative for Swedishtelecom firm Ericsson, for four dayswhen they were scheduled to attend aglobal telecommunications conference inSwitzerland.The 33-page ICE report states thatRetana had not properly informed ICEof changes to his itinerary. It revealedthat he did, however, attempt to changehis itinerary shortly before leaving.The report was presented to ICE’sboard of directors last Tuesday afterRetana’s resignation, but was shelvedbecause Retana had already resigned, thedaily La Nación reported.