Chetumal, Q.R. — The Quintana Roo Education Secretariat (SEQ) says they do not employ a ‘manager’ who is being accused of selling job positions. On Tuesday, the state agency distanced itself from the allegations being made by more than a dozen people who said they paid him for a job.
According to those affected, nearly 200,000 pesos were paid to a man identified as José Artemio Viera Martín for teaching and administrative positions within the SEQ. On Tuesday, the Secretaría de Educación de Quintana Roo (SEQ) said no such person works for them.
“We reiterate to teachers and citizens: there is no employee or manager with the name ‘José Artemio Viera Martín’ in this institution. The assignment of positions is 100% transparent and free of corruption,” the SEQ posted on its X page Tuesday.
The people who allegedly gave José Artemio Viera Martín money said the jobs he claimed he could get released to them were being offered within the SEQ in Chetumal and Bacalar.
The news of the likely scam broke the day after students around Quintana Roo returned to classes and none of the potential employees were hired for the new school year.
Melvin “S”, one of those affected, said the man offered him a prefect position for which he handed over 8,000 to “start the process”. He was contact again on other occasions for more money ranging between 2,000 and 4,000 pesos to “pay for favors” to have the jobs released, he explained.
At least 20 people are claiming they were defrauded by the man with promises of jobs as prefects and administrative secretaries. According to the group, they claim to have collectively given José Artemio Viera Martín nearly 180,000 pesos.
The group say they intend to file a formal complaint with the State Attorney General (FGE) for fraud.
