The preliminary hearing for those accused by the Attorney General in the Odebrecht bribery case began yesterday, Tuesday 7 August, 2018 at 9am at the Supreme Court of Justice, presided by Judge Francisco Ortega. The accused are: Ángel Rondón, Víctor Díaz Rúa, Andrés Bautista, senator Tommy Galán; Roberto Rodríguez, Conrado Pittaluga Arzeno and Jesús (Chu) Vásquez.
On arrival at the hearing the defendants together with their lawyers all issued statements declaring their innocence. Rondon said that when Odebrecht staff members were interviewed in Brazil, his name was never mentioned as being involved in bribery in the Dominican Republic and that if they wanted to accuse someone they should look at Marco Vasconcelos Cruz who was the main executive for Odebrecht in the Dominican Republic and who left the DR in November 2016, a month before the announcement of the New York court on the bribes paid in the Dominican Republic.
Meanwhile, Andres Bautista said that he hoped the process would follow the law. Others around the court said that they hoped there would be justice and that all involved would be sent to jail indefinitely.
The accusation against the seven men were submitted by the Attorney General on 9 June 2018, following a year and a half of investigations into the case of the payment of US$92 million in bribes by the Brazilian construction company, Odebrecht. The bribes were supposedly paid from 2001 to 2014 by Angel Rondon, commercial representative for Odebrecht in the country, and they were to help expedite the granting of 17 public works.
The investigation initially included 14 people, among government officials and former officials, legislators and businessmen. Now just seven face formal charges.
Judge Francisco Ortega will continue hearing the cases on Wednesday, 8 August 2018.
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Hoy
El Dia
Diario Libre
8 August 2018
