{"id":147218,"date":"2020-09-21T07:36:19","date_gmt":"2020-09-21T11:36:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dr1.com\/wordpress\/?p=147218"},"modified":"2020-09-21T18:49:11","modified_gmt":"2020-09-21T22:49:11","slug":"odebrecht-us92-million-bribery-trial-resumes-on-monday-21-september-2020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dr1.com\/news\/2020\/09\/21\/odebrecht-us92-million-bribery-trial-resumes-on-monday-21-september-2020\/","title":{"rendered":"Odebrecht US$92 million bribery trial resumes on Monday, 21 September 2020"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The state’s trial versus six accused of their involvement in the Odebrecht bribes reopens in a Santo Domingo court. The Brazilian construction company Norberto Odebrecht admitted in a New York City court to paying US$92 million in the Dominican Republic to obtain contracts worth millions between 2001 and 2014. The Attorney General Office had incriminated 14 persons but absolved eight. The case was originally heard in the Supreme Court of Justice (SCJ). Yet that court would determine it should be heard by ordinary justice. The Covid-19 epidemic delayed the start of the hearings that resume today<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last week, Attorney General Miriam German recursed herself from the Attorney General Office investigation and prosecution of the Odebrecht US$92 million bribery case. When presiding the Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court, German had alerted to errors in the prosecution then under Attorney General Jean Alain Rodr\u00edguez that could have consequences for true justice. Rodr\u00edguez was incidental to the removal of German from the Supreme Court of Justice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Seventy-seven company executives agreed to plea bargains with Brazilian authorities, and their statements to investigators were made public. Former attorney general Rodr\u00edguez built the Dominican case merely on the written incriminations relevant to the Dominican Republic that were received from the Odebrecht officers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Diario Libre reports that Wilson Camacho, \u201ccharacterized by being one of the most energetic litigators of the team of prosecutors that has handled the case from the beginning\u201d, leads the team of prosecutors from the Specialized Prosecutor for the Prosecution of Administrative Corruption (Pepca). An expanded team of 19 prosecutors is now handling the case for the department responsible for combatting corruption among government officers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The judges of the First Collegiate Court of the National District will determine the guilt or innocence of the defendants of various crimes who are free on bail. Judge Giselle P\u00e9rez M\u00e9ndez presides the court. She is highly reputed in the judicial system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The trial is scheduled to be heard at 9am. The defendants are businessman \u00c1ngel Rond\u00f3n, former Senate president Andr\u00e9s Bautista, former director of the National Institute of Potable Water and Sewerage (Inapa) Roberto Rodr\u00edguez, former Minister of Public Works V\u00edctor D\u00edaz R\u00faa, and notary public-attorney Conrado Pittaluga.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Angel Rond\u00f3n Rijo is accused of bribery, money laundering and association with wrongdoers. Former senator Tommy Gal\u00e1n is accused of bribery, malfeasance, forgery, illicit enrichment and money laundering. Andr\u00e9s Bautista is also charged with bribery, malfeasance, falsehood, illicit enrichment and money laundering. V\u00edctor D\u00edaz R\u00faa is accused of receiving bribes and prevarication in the exercise of his duties as Minister of Public Works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The SCJ magistrate, Francisco Ortega carried out the investigation phase of the case. Ortega Polanco stated at the end of his participation in the case that \u201ccorruption cases do not expire.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Odebrecht case will be heard in-person, but in these Covid-19 virus times, access to the court room is limited and new protocols apply. All present must wear a mask permanently. The trial will be streamed online through a link that the Supreme Court of Justice is making available to the media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Follow the trial live:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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EN VIVO: Juicio de fondo del Caso Odebrecht<\/a><\/blockquote>