Karina Martin reports in the PanAm Post about the widespread corruption linked to Odebrecht.
The Odebrecht scandal is now considered to be one of the largest corruption cases in Latin America. Like a handful of other countries, many high-standing officials in the Dominican Republic awarded construction contracts in exchange for bribes between 2001 and 2014.
This week is crucial, the island’s local media has stressed, as prosecutors continue to prepare arrest warrants for those bribed by the construction company.
The detainees so far:
- Minister of Industry and Commerce Temístocles Montás
- Executive Vice Presidents of the Dominican Corporation of State Electric Companies César Sánchez and Radhamés Segura
- Former Minister of Public Works Víctor Díaz Rúa
- Former President of the Senate Andrés Bautista
- Former Presidents of the Chamber of Congress Julio César Valentín and Alfredo Pacheco
- Businessman Ángel Rondón
- Director of the National Institute of Potable Water and Sewage Roberto Rodríguez.
Each of them were transferred to the courthouse in Ciudad Nueva. Local media has said more arrests will be made within the next few hours.
The Brazilian company has already confessed to paying US $92 million in bribes to Dominican officials in exchange for multimillion-dollar contracts to build infrastructure in the Dominican Republic.
Sources: Almomento.net; El Día; Acento; La Jornada en Línea.
