Correa and its leadership, investigated for organized crime

Ecuadornews:

Rafael Correa, his vice president Jorge Glas, his interior minister José Serrano (notified as former president of the Assembly), his legal secretary Alexis Mera and the authorities who exercised control during his government, are investigated for organized crime.

The Prosecutor’s Office yesterday confirmed the opening of the first investigation into corruption and the Odebrecht case against former President Correa, which extends to the top management and the Brazilian construction company. “It is derivation of the trial by unlawful association,” explains César Montúfar, who filed the complaint on March 5 of which this investigation was born. Montúfar was a private accuser at the trial in which former Vice President Jorge Glas was sentenced to six years in prison.

As it is an initial phase, no more details of the process of organized crime have been officially released. But the complainant has recalled the arguments he presented six months ago before the Prosecutor’s Office when he denounced that during Correa’s 10 years of government, corruption “had ceased to be an isolated incident in Ecuador” and had become an “institutionalized” corruption.

He then pointed to the former president as “the leader of that criminal gang”, through which, according to the complaint, committing crimes of embezzlement, concussion, bribery and illicit enrichment during the exercise of their positions. Today ratifies that it was a case of “organized state crime”, because during the correísta regime “laws were changed, institutions were created, collaborators were appointed and each was assigned a role within an organized scheme of corruption.

In his statement today, Montúfar will incorporate elements that have been unveiled in the last half year, such as the irregularities of the presidential decrees that allowed the excess of public indebtedness and oil pre-sales, as well as evidence that comes from the trial by conspiracy and the criminal cooperations arrived from Brazil and the USA. The preliminary investigation process can be extended up to two years, but according to the complainant, there are sufficient elements for the investigation to be opened before that period.

So far, the first step has been taken. According to the Prosecutor’s Office document, which EXPRESO had access to, the ex-sub-prosecutor Gen Rhea, in the knowledge of the Notitia Criminis, ordered “the practice of several investigative measures”, but his order does not expressly state the order to open a trial. . Hence, the prosecutor of the case, Xavier Rosero, ordered on September 6 – last Thursday – open the inquiry.

César Montúfar, private accuser / Odebrecht case

Tomorrow you will go to the Prosecutor’s Office to render a version and recognize signature, what new elements are there?

The specific decrees issued by Correa that allowed corruption events related to the public debt and the anticipated oil presale could occur. I will also ask you to incorporate the evidence of the trial by conspiracy and the cooperation of Brazil and the USA. I think that there would be enough elements for the instruction to be opened before, because the investigation can last two years.

On the controversy with the new law, there are assembly members who lead the anti-corruption fight and who reject their criticism of the new law, is it coherent?

No one doubts the integrity and good intention of legislators such as Henry Cucalón or Luis Fernando Torres, but the Assembly is wrong with that law and should amend the error.

But they defend that the norm does not persecute the impunity, but that is more precise with the illicit association …

So far, none of those who reject my arguments have been able to deny that the reform of the crime opens the door to Jorge Glas. His sentence is not enforceable and that would allow him to request the review because the crime for which he is convicted no longer exists. Why did they change that article now? Why not wait for the sentence to be enforceable? Why do they only reform that crime?. (I)

Source: https://www.expreso.ec/actualidad/rafaelcorrea-corrupcion-odebrecht-fiscalia-investigacion-XK2369990