Mera and Duarte to be prosecuted for bribery, racketeering and influence peddling

Ecuadortimes:

The judge of the National Court of Justice, Daniella Camacho, accepted the request of the Attorney General’s Office and has ordered that Alexis Mera and María de los Ángeles Duarte be prosecuted for the crimes of bribery, illicit association and influence trafficking.

The request was made by Attorney General Diana Salazar during the charges reformulation hearing on Wednesday. The former officials were initially prosecuted for concussion.

Camacho ratified the precautionary measures dictated against him: preventive prison for Alexis Mera, and for María de los Ángeles Duarte, the prohibition to be absent from the country, periodic presentation before the judge and the use of the electronic surveillance device.

Prosecutor Salazar indicated that during the “investigation new elements of conviction arose that vary the legal qualification made in the filing of charges on June 1, so it presented twenty-one new elements,” says the prosecution.

Among the main elements are: “a report from the Internal Revenue Service (SRI) and the Financial and Economic Analysis Unit (UAFE), which would reveal variations in the assets of Maria de los Angeles Duarte.

There are also versions by former assemblyman Christian Viteri; Jimmy Salazar, husband of Pamela Martinez; Gustavo Bucaram and Pedro Espinoza.

Another element of conviction “is the handwriting expertise made to the manuscripts of Pamela Martinez, which would prove his authorship,” adds the prosecutor.

This, in addition to documentation that would demonstrate the economic relationship between Odebrecht and Nexoglobal, the latter linked to Pamela Martinez.

According to the Attorney General, the defendants were part of an organized criminal structure and acted in concert to obtain economic benefits. (I)

Source: https://www.larepublica.ec/blog/politica/2019/06/19/mera-y-duarte-seran-procesados-por-cohecho-asociacion-ilicita-y-trafico-de-influencia/