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The president of Costa Rica, Laura Fernández, announced the immediate removal of seven trusted police directors from the Elite Force group of the Ministry of Security. According to the president, the officials did not pass a polygraph test administered as part of a strategy to strengthen internal controls and combat corruption in the country’s security forces.
n” “nFernández maintained that the decision seeks to strengthen institutional transparency. “I have a firm commitment to transparency,” asserted the head of state. The president instructed the Minister of Security to remove himself from the Elite Force group and halt the trust-based appointments that those seven officials held.
n” “nPolygraph tests, coordinated by the Directorate of Intelligence and National Security (DIS) and the international company IPSC, evaluated a total of 33 officials. Of that group, seven did not pass the exam. Fernández highlighted that both the ministers and the directors of the DIS and the Special Intervention Unit (UEI) passed the procedure without any issues.
n” “nThe president emphasized that the removed officials held managerial roles and were trusted individuals within the Ministry of Security. The decision to remove them from their positions was made immediately after receiving the test results.
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n” “nFurthermore, Fernández instructed the initiation of a preliminary investigation from her office against each of those involved. “They were asked questions about organized crime, drug trafficking, and whether they have received illicit benefits in the exercise of their duties,” the president explained.
n” “nThe Ministry of Public Security of Costa Rica strengthens trust controls in key positions, amidst transparency policies. Credit: Presidency of the Republic
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The application of these tests occurs in the context of growing social pressure to purge police forces and ensure integrity in the management of public resources. According to Fernández, the process was carried out under international standards, in order to guarantee the objectivity and reliability of the results.
n” “n“Compatriots, I will be relentless in fighting corruption and cleaning up Costa Rica”, affirmed Fernández, emphasizing her determination to maintain high ethical standards in public office. The president also clarified that the preliminary investigation seeks to determine the existence of irregular conduct or possible links to illicit activities among the suspended officials.
The Directorate of Intelligence and Security and the Special Intervention Unit are part of the country’s main intelligence and special operations bodies. Both entities play a strategic role in the fight against organized crime and the safeguarding of national security.
n” “nThe Government reiterated that the purging of management cadres in security will continue as part of its “zero tolerance” policy against possible acts of corruption.
n” “nThe company IPSC, responsible for the administration of the polygraphs, has international certification and experience in integrity assessments for public officials. The procedure included specific questions regarding links to criminal organizations, drug trafficking, and potential bribes or illicit benefits.
n” “nIn parallel, the Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ) announced the creation of a Polygraph Unit intended to administer tests to those aspiring to join or be promoted within that institution. This measure was established in the new regulations of Law 9958, which regulates the use of the polygraph in police and national security bodies. The regulation, approved by the Full Court, provides that the test will be voluntary and will require the express and written consent of the applicants.
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n” “nThe magistrate of Chamber III, Gerardo Rubén Alfaro, explained to teletica.com that the polygraph will serve as an additional selection criterion, without being decisive for entry or promotion. “The test measures blood pressure, respiration, pulse, and determines reliability, but what the polygraph determines as reliable may not be reliable, and it can be determined that the polygraph result comes from emotions other than those we are evaluating,” maintained Alfaro.
n” “nFernández’s administration has reiterated its commitment to transparency on several occasions. The president insists that the review of profiles and backgrounds of key officials is a practice that will remain in effect during her administration. The DIS and the UEI, central bodies in the fight against organized crime, administered polygraph tests to their high-ranking officials. Credit: Presidency of the Republic
n” “nThe development of the preliminary investigation will be in charge of advisors to the presidential office, who must collect additional information and determine possible administrative or judicial sanctions, in the event that irregular conduct is confirmed.
n” “nThe Government assured that it will report in a timely manner on the progress of these investigations and ratified its intention to deepen audits in other sensitive areas of the public administration.
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