Ecuador VP in eye of Odebrecht storm
His initials, his full name, and audio recordings directly link Ecuador's vice president Jorge Glas with Brazilian company Odebrecht's corruption scheme to secure public works contracts in the country. Now only congress stands in the way of an investigation into the suspended VP.
Glas was stripped of his power earlier this month by a decree from President Lenín Moreno supposedly over the vice president's claim that the administration was pushing fake economic data. Glas was also VP under Lenín's predecessor, former president Rafael Correa, who has publicly defended Glas as he feuds with his successor.
Moreno, 64, who narrowly won April elections before being sworn in May 24, has been working to distance himself from Correa, who he blames for the country's economic slowdown and steep foreign debt load. Correa moved to Belgium earlier this month.
On Monday, top prosecutor Carlos Baca told media that his office will request a hearing with the national court of justice to detail evidence of "illicit association" against Glas, who has denied any wrongdoing. At least 92 of 137 lawmakers in the single-chambered congress must vote in favor of an investigation before the court can hear the case.
Prosecutors have said they have recorded conversations between Odebrecht's representative in Ecuador and the uncle of Jorge Glas, who allegedly asked for money for his nephew's campaign. The vice president is also referenced as "JG," "Vidrio" (a Spanish translation of what his name sounds like in English) and even by his full name in documents provided by the company as part of its plea deal with authorities in Brazil.
Glas' uncle is under house arrest after authorities found US$40,000 in cash at his home. Overall, 17 people have been detained since June in connection with the scheme.
Odebrecht has paid some US$3.5bn in settlements in the US, Brazil and Switzerland. Last December, the US Justice Department detailed the bribes paid by the construction firm in the region, and said at least US$33mn had been used to pay off Ecuadoran government officials in order to secure contracts.
In May, Odebrecht pulled out of the project to build the first line of the metro system in Quito.
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