The former president of the Senate, Ramon Albuquerque, was questioned on Monday, 27 March 2017, by Attorney General Jean Alain Rodriguez and the director of the Specialized Prosecution Service for Persecution of Administrative Corruption (PEPCA), Laura Guerrero Pelletier regarding the bribes the Brazilian construction company Odebrecht is said to have paid Dominican government officials to secure contract work.
Already interviewed in connection with the case have been around 30 persons. These include the president of the Senate Cristina Lizardo, former president of the Senate Reinaldo Pared Perez, former president of the Chamber of Deputies Julio Cesar Valentin, Odebrecht commercial representative, Angel Rondon, general manager of Odebrecht in the country, Marcelo Hofke and the former presidents of the Senate, Andres Bautista and Jesus Vasquez during the Hipolito Mejia presidency.
Also interviewed in connection with the case were former president of the Chamber of Deputies Alfredo Pacheco, former Minister of Public Works Victor Diaz Rua, and former general managers of the Public Electricity Corporation (CDEEE) Radhames Segura and Cesar Sánchez.
A caricature in El Dia points to the similarities between the parading of persons invited to answer questions at the Attorney General and a red carpet showbusiness event. Despite the many weeks of questioning, the Attorney General has yet to announce an arrest. One of the persons questioned, Angel Rondón admitted to receiving an amount similar to the US$92 million Odebrecht told a New York Court it had paid in bribes to Dominican government officers. But Rondón said the money was in payment for his services to assist the company in getting construction contract work with the Dominican government.
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El Dia
El Dia
28 March 2017
