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IDL-Reporteros: Peru's Ex-President Alan Garcia received US$100,000 from Odebrecht

13:50 | Lima, Nov. 15.

Former President Alan Garcia received US$100,000 from the Brazilian construction giant and corruption-tainted Odebrecht for a lecture in Sao Paulo, investigative journalism site IDL-Reporteros informed Thursday.

During the interrogation carried out by Prosecutor Jose Domingo Perez in Curitiba (November 9, 2017), Marcelo Odebrecht revealed said presentation —held on May 25, 2012— had been paid by his company. 

For his part, Garcia denied this affirmation via Twitter. 
"I gave over 30 lectures in 10 countries. One in Brazil, for the Federation of Industries of the State of Sao Paulo (not Odebrecht). All the paid contracts, fees, and taxes have been published and investigated by Congress and the Public Ministry," he posted on November 14, 2017. 

Nevertheless, IDL-Reporteros —after having obtained the documentation over several months— indicates the aforementioned speech had been paid by Odebrecht through Box Two of the Division of Structured Operations —the Brazilian company's bribery department— in order to hide who had paid Garcia.

Furthermore, the investigative site attaches the confession Jose Americo Spinola —the owner of the law firm and middleman for the contract with the ex-President— made to Brazil's Federal Anti-Corruption Prosecutor on December 14, 2016.

According to IDL-Reporteros, Spinola had only been the intermediary between the money from Box Two and Alan Garcia. 

The agreement had supposedly been signed on April 5, 2012, and the receipt —for US$100,000— is dated on May 24, 2012. 

Nonetheless, the attached e-mails show that Spinola had been offered the role as the organizer of fictitious contracts and conduit of funds —for a US$15,000 fee— on June 15, 2012. 

Additionally, the actual payment to Garcia was made on July 9, 2012. 

As is known, Alan Garcia served as President of Peru twice between 1985-1990 and 2006-2011.

Editor's note: Based on information provided by IDL-Reporteros.

(END) CVC/DTK/MVB

Published: 11/15/2018