Republican Party president Arturo Squella backed the executive branch's account on Tuesday regarding the lunch President José Antonio Kast hosted for former university classmates at La Moneda Palace. The Republican leader dismissed allegations of wrongdoing and questioned the oversight strategy employed by the opposition, as reported by La Tercera.
The controversy arose after the Comptroller’s Office gave the Presidency 10 business days to respond regarding the event, which involved an official menu and the use of institutional staff during working hours. This action was prompted by a request from Socialist Party lawmakers, who called for an investigation into the nature and funding of the gathering.
Criticism of oversight costs
Upon arriving at the government coalition meeting at Cerro Castillo, Squella described the actions of the Socialist legislators as "pointless alarms." The senator asserted that the opposition is well aware that the event did not use public funds, but was instead paid for directly by the President.
“I have seen in some media outlets the unease and concern from those opposed to the government; in some cases, they have performed their oversight duties appropriately, but in others, in my view, they have raised alarms that are completely pointless,” the Republican leader told the press.
Furthermore, the lawmaker argued that the very oversight requested by the opposition generates unnecessary costs for the state. According to his assessment, activating the Comptroller’s administrative machinery to investigate an event that cost the public treasury nothing represents an inefficient use of all Chileans' resources.
“I get the impression that those requesting formal inquiries from the Comptroller’s Office are causing more of all Chileans' resources to be spent—specifically on the machinery of the Comptroller’s work—than what, from their perspective, a lunch that cost the public treasury zero might have cost,” Squella stated, as quoted by the outlet.
