Labor Minister Fernando Trejos is filing a complaint over the plans of representative José Francisco Salas, and his twin brother Carlos, both of the Authentic Heredian Party.  José Francisco Salas is giving up his post as of Wednesday and will allow his twin brother to take over.  This is possible because Carlos was in second place on the party’s ballot in the 2002 elections.  José Francisco made the announcement last week saying it was a gesture of fraternal love, allowing his brother to live his dream of being in the legistlature. 

However Trejos is denouncing that this is an abuse of public funds. In the first place, this means that José Francisco is giving 3.2 million colones to his brother, which is what Carlos will earn in the 2 months remaining of the term.  Although on the other hand the state would have to pay that money no matter which brother is in office.  The real kicker is that Carlos Salas Ramos is a pensioner of the Magisterio Nacional (the teacher pension fund) under the regulation of law 2248. This law permits the person to retire with a pension equal to the highest salary of their last 5 years.

According to Trejos, Carlos Salas retired in June 1996 and suspended his retirement to become a political adviser to his brother reporting a salary of 279,538 colones.  In August of 2005, Carlos asked the labor ministry to review his pension, taking into account his salary as legislative consultant - 999,000 colones.  Which will be his new pension when he leaves office in May of this year.  A hefty tripling of his pension in just 4 years of "work".

However, if he becomes a legislator, he will earn a monthly salary of 1,647,671 colones. And he can immediately ask for his pension to be reviewed again.  Trejos clarified that the legislator has not necessarily asked for the review or may not intend to ask for it.  However since it is a possibility it was his duty to make public the potential for an abuse of public funds to occur.