Prosecutor investigates Topic for two crimes

Ecuadornews:

Authorities presented this Tuesday, January 15, before the Prosecutor’s Office, the formal complaint and more information about the route of the $ 13.5 million diverted to tax havens by businessman Tomislav Topic. This within the Odebrecht plot.

Accompanied by the director of the Financial and Economic Analysis Unit (UAFE), Diana Salazar, the Undersecretary of Political Action, Iván Granda, made the delivery to the Public Ministry. The UAFE document refers to a process of the year 2017 that already established unusual movements and operations.

Fiscal General del Estado (e), #RuthPalaciosB, recibió al subsecretario general de Acción Política, @IvanGrandaM, quien entregó formalmente el documento emitido por Tomislav Topic para consignar USD 13,5 millones, producto de la trama de corrupción de #Odebrecht. pic.twitter.com/GtzhIy2ph4

— Fiscalía Ecuador (@FiscaliaEcuador) 15 de enero de 2019

.@IvanGrandaM “Hoy iré a la @FiscaliaEcuador y dejaré la consignación, la misma que tendrá que ser en una cuenta del tesoro del Ministerio de @FinanzasEc “ Aquí 🔽 104.5 FM y https://t.co/aRm10ikOck @Jorgeacato @RamiroDiaz64 @longogalo @Presidencia_Ec pic.twitter.com/raKFcdHIgX

— AMERICA ESTEREO (@RADIOAMERICAEC) 15 de enero de 2019

Likewise, a document was delivered to the Acting Attorney General, Ruth Palacios, in which Topic commits to “consign 13.5 million dollars in the National Treasury account”. The amount corresponds to payments made by the Brazilian construction company to Glory International, based in Hong Kong, and in which Ricardo Rivera, uncle of former Vice President Jorge Glas, and Topic himself were involved.

Investigations continue

At a press conference, the prosecutor Palacios clarified that the fact that Topic has offered to return this money to the Ecuadorian State does not imply that it is excluded from responsibility. “The Office of the Prosecutor does its work and we will determine whether or not Mr. Topic has criminal responsibility.”

He explained that in this case there are two open inquiries: for asset laundering and embezzlement. “The investigation is advanced, but we cannot be guided by some elements but by all to formulate charges.” Palacios also noted that he has had no contact with Tomislav Topic. “I do not know what it is that it intends to do or how it is directed that supposed return it intends to do.” That is why he invited him to the Prosecutor’s Office, “to approach him to find out what the pretension is, because the Prosecutor’s Office is the sole owner of the criminal process.” This morning the Undersecretary of Political Action pointed out that it is the Prosecutor’s Office and the judges that must reach agreements.

He added that the Public Ministry is the one that “will determine authors, co-authors, who are excluded and who are not from an asset laundering process”. Prosecutor Palacios clarified that “it is not an effective cooperation agreement.” He added that his inclusion in the program of victims and witnesses is still being studied. “He presented the request and we are in that analysis,” he said.

The Prosecutor stressed that the institution she directs will continue to provide the Financial Analysis Unit (UAFE) with “all the support required by actions aimed at recovering the money of the Ecuadorian people, such as that offered by Telconet and Mr. Topic.”

Without this type of action, clarified, “prevent the process required by various criminal offenses and not mean the claudication of the Ecuadorian State to execute as many actions as are necessary, achieving sanctions and comprehensive reparations.” Palacios demanded from the institutions involved the collaboration to banish corruption. In the case of the Comptroller’s Office, to prepare reports duly motivated to justify the corresponding criminal responsibility.

Prosecutor’s deficit

Palacios mentioned that from June 2017 to January 2019 a total of 372 reports with indications of criminal responsibility have been submitted, all issued by the Comptroller’s Office. Of these, 209 are under preliminary investigation: embezzlement 142; illicit enrichment 63; concussion 2; for abuse of goods, 2.

Fiscal General (e), #RuthPalaciosB, informa el número de noticias del delito y señala la alta carga laboral que tienen los fiscales para tramitar las causas. “Se requieren por lo menos 400 fiscales más aproximadamente” ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/hkKK3JyAjy

— Fiscalía Ecuador (@FiscaliaEcuador) 15 de enero de 2019

He said there are 840 prosecutors nationwide, which assume an average of 360 thousand news of crimes per year. That means 481 average cases for each prosecutor to solve them. Hence, he demanded the autonomy and administrative independence of the Office of the Public Prosecutor and Transitory Social Control and the Judiciary, as well as the resumption of competitions to increase the number of prosecutors and officials. (I)

Source: https://www.eltelegrafo.com.ec/noticias/judicial/12/fiscalia-topic-devolucion-dinero-culpa