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Peru Prosecutor: Agreement signing with Odebrecht delayed

12:30 | Lima, Jan. 3.

Reinstated Lava Jato Case Prosecutor Jose Domingo Perez on Thursday confirmed the collaboration agreement with Odebrecht will not be signed on January 11, as intended.

According to Perez, this delay is due to Attorney General Pedro Chavarry's removal and subsequent reinstatement of Prosecutor Rafael Vela and him.

"I cannot give a date. From what I know, Prosecutor Vela is handling it (the signing) with the company, as well as diverse actors such as the Prosecutor's Office, which will take part in this act," he told State-run channel TV Peru.

As is known, the Public Ministry's special team was going to visit Brazil in order to reach a collaboration agreement with Odebrecht.

Said accord will enable the Brazilian company to provide more information to Peruvian prosecutors' ongoing investigations on corruption cases.

Plus, the construction giant will pay S/610 million (around US$180 million) in civil reparations to the Inca country over a period of 15 years.

Likewise, Prosecutor Perez indicated the special group is waiting for the reestablishment of coordination with Brazilian authorities in order to reschedule audiences in the neighboring nation.

Furthermore, he informed the interrogations of former Odebrecht representative in Peru Jorge Barata and other officers will not be held on the agreed dates.

Attorney General Chavarry —on New Year's Eve— decided to remove Prosecutors Vela and Perez from the case.

Said decision brought protestors to the streets in several cities of the Inca country.

On January 2, Chavarry reversed his previous decision by reinstating Lava Jato Case Prosecutors Rafael Vela and Jose Domingo Perez in their posts.

Lava Jato Case Special Prosecution Group Coordinator Vela had previously affirmed there was hostility against the Odebrecht investigation prosecutors. Reports suggested the existence of friction between his team and the Attorney General.

In Peru, the Attorney General is not designated or confirmed by the President of the Republic. In fact, President Vizcarra had expressed his full support to the continuation of Prosecutors Vela and Perez in the case.

Odebrecht

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).

Former presidential candidate Keiko Fujimori —currently under preventive detention— also allegedly received money from Odebrecht for her 2011 campaign.

(END) CVC/DTK/RMB/MVB

Published: 1/3/2019

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