The defense of Odebrecht commercial representative Angel Rondon presented closing arguments on 19 August 2021 insisting that state prosecutors had not presented proof that Rondón had received millions in bribe money from the Brazilian construction company. A US Court in December 2016 had declared the company had paid US$92 million in bribes to secure contract work in the Dominican Republic. Rondón was charged for incurring in bribes and asset laundering. Rondón has maintained from day one that he is innocent and was paid the money for his work as the commercial representative for the company. The state prosecutors seek a sentence of 10 years in prison and forfeiture of illicitly obtained assets.
The lead defense lawyer, José Miguel Minier requested the judges Giselle Mendez, Tania Yunes and Jissel Naranjo of the First Collegiate Court of the National District declare the extinction of the charges filed against Rondón due to the time that has elapsed since the defendant was submitted to justice. The defense say four years and eight months since Rondón is under investigation.
In a New York Court in December 2016, Odebrecht admitted to paying US$92 million in bribes in the Dominican Republic for 17 different contracts. Most of the contract work was carried out during the Danilo Medina administration, including a coal-burning power plant, that was excluded from the trial investigations.
Read more in Spanish:
El Caribe
Diario Libre
Listin Diario
Trace International
20 August 2021