In a series of emails between Carlos Pólit and a Spanish businessman who paid him bribes, the Presidency of Rafael Correa and two of his former trusted officials are mentioned.
Carlos Pólit, former Comptroller General of the State, during a work tour at the National Assembly, on August 23, 2013.
On September 25, 2023, the United States notified the Florida Court of its intention to use new evidence in the Carlos Pólit case.
Through Markenzy Lapointe, prosecutor for the Southern District of Florida, the North American country informed the former Ecuadorian comptroller that it wants to present evidence of other crimes, errors or acts during the money laundering trial, scheduled for January 2024.
The United States Government believes that this evidence “is intrinsically or inextricably intertwined,” which is why it warned that the announcement is presented “with great caution.”
A Spanish businessman on stage
The United States announced that these new tests would reveal an alleged plan by Pólit to receive bribes from the owner of a Spanish company and launder them through his son, Jhon Pólit, identified as ‘Co-Conspirator 1’.
The US Prosecutor’s Office has identified emails from the personal accounts of both Carlos Pólit and his son, which indicate that the former comptroller received bribes from this businessman.
In exchange for this money, former controller Pólit would have helped with the pending tax matters of the Spanish company with the Ecuadorian authorities. The emails also reveal the plan to launder the money from that bribe in the United States.
These messages would have been exchanged between the end of 2015 and the beginning of 2016.
The e-mails
In the announcement of new evidence, the United States Attorney’s Office advanced the content of several of the emails involving Pólit.
The first email exchange announced by the prosecution is between Carlos Pólit and the Spanish businessman.
The European asks Pólit for help to get an appointment in Carondelet. The former comptroller offers his intervention through Pedro Solines , who was Secretary of Public Administration, in the Government of Rafael Correa, from October 15, 2015 to January 4, 2017.
Months later, Pólit and the Spanish businessman exchanged emails again. On that occasion, however, the European asked for his help with the problems that his company had with the Ecuadorian treasury, which would have been the object of the bribe.
Bribes and AM advice
But the conversations were not only between the businessman and Carlos Pólit. The US authorities also found that in March 2015 there was an exchange of messages between the Spaniard and Jhon Pólit, the son of the former comptroller.
On March 18, 2015, Jhon Pólit sent an email to the Spanish businessman. The subject of the message was specified as “transfer to friend”.
Pólit Jr. wrote to the businessman that the “friend” asked him to send him the bank information to make a transfer of 109,800 euros. In the email, Jhon Pólit provided instructions for receiving transfers to a bank account in Spain.
11 days later, on March 29, 2015, the Spanish businessman forwarded the email he received from Jhon Pólit to one of his partners and stated that he had spoken with “CP”, who told him that Jhon Pólit would call him.
In the email, the Spanish businessman also stated that CP had reviewed the issue and that it would be resolved by the President’s legal counsel and that CP had told him about the possible intervention of his friend “AM”, who was handling the matter.
The initials used in that message coincide with those of the names of Carlos Pólit , accused in this case. But also with those of Alexis Mera, who was the Legal Secretary during the Correa Presidency.
Shortly after, on March 31, 2015, the Spanish businessman sent an email to Jhon Pólit confirming a transfer of 109,800 euros to a bank account in Spain.
On August 6, 2015, an associate of the Spanish businessman sent Pólit Jr. a list showing total transfers made of approximately 573,000 euros.
Initial evidence against Pólit
In the United States, former Comptroller Pólit is accused of six counts of conspiracy to launder money, concealment of money laundering and participation in monetary transactions with assets derived from crimes.
The indictment alleges that, between 2010 and 2017, Pólit, as Comptroller General of Ecuador, participated in a scheme to enrich himself by receiving bribes and laundering the bribes in South Florida with the help of Co-Conspirator 1, who is his son, Jhon Polit.
The Pólits, father and son, would have laundered the bribes that the former comptroller received from a representative of the Brazilian construction company Odebrecht. In exchange for that bribe, Carlos Pólit would have helped Odebrecht avoid the imposition of large fines or fines on the projects he was building in Ecuador.
Another group of alleged bribes, however, would have been paid to Pólit by an Ecuadorian businessman. In this case, however, the former official would have acted as a link for the businessman to obtain contracts with Seguros Sucres, an Ecuadorian state insurer that is currently in liquidation and involved in several corruption schemes.
