Andina

Peru: Former Odebrecht representative to be interrogated over bribe-related "codinomes"

Photo: AFP

Photo: AFP

12:47 | Lima, Nov. 6.

Former Odebrecht representative in Peru Jorge Barata and other ex-company executives will once again testify before Peruvian prosecutors on December 11-13 in order to decode the "codinomes" (codinames) of the former Peruvian officials who would have received illegal payments from the construction company.


The audience was scheduled for December because Peru's Lava Jato Case Special Prosecution Group Coordinator Rafael Vela and Prosecutor Jose Domingo Perez will —on November 12-13— testify in their investigations against former Attorney General Pedro Chavarry.

In this interrogation, according to El Comercio newspaper, Barata and the former executives will decode the missing "codinomes" and reveal all the operations carried out through the Division of Structured Operations (Box 2) —used for the payment of bribes.



"We are now in a position to demand results in a much more rigorous and efficient way," Vela said.

Last October, the interrogation of former Odebrecht executives was suspended as the company argued that it had trouble searching for documentation on My Web Day and Drousys servers, citing economic difficulties.

Odebrecht

In mid-February, Peru's Lava Jato Case Special Prosecution Group signed the long-awaited collaboration agreement with Odebrecht representatives and former employees in Brazil. The accord did not include the Southern Gas Pipeline project.

This deal was intended to procure evidence and testimonies for the investigation of corruption cases in the Andean nation.
       
As is known, the Brazilian construction giant admitted to having paid millions in bribes to government officials in Peru, in order to secure public-works contracts.

As a result, Odebrecht benefited from over US$143 million between 2005 and 2014 in Peru, according to the U.S. Justice Department. 

In addition, four ex-Presidents have been linked to the Brazilian company such as: Alejandro Toledo (2001-2006)Alan Garcia (2006-2011)Ollanta Humala (2011-2016), and Pedro Pablo Kuczynski (2016-2018)


(END) FHG/MVB

Published: 11/6/2019