Santos, the Odebrecht informer, says that Carlos Polit was “the fourth power”

Ecuadornews:

The former representative of the construction company Odebrecht, Jose Santos, declared today before the Prosecutor Carlos Baca for the crime of concussion that is being investigated against former Comptroller Carlos Pólit. His son John Polit is being linked to the process as well as Mauricio Neme and Estéfano Isaías.

During the two hours of testimony, Santos said that former Comptroller Carlos Pólit was speaking with Vice President Jorge Glas to issue favorable reports or change indications of criminal responsibility. According to Santos, Polit did what he “wanted” and heard the former “Baba” project contractor speak, in which he mentioned that there were reports of criminal responsibility. In this project the Brazilian said he had heard about a “Mr. Punina”.

He described Carlos Pólit as “the fourth power”, which blackmailed officials and private companies. Santos said that assembly members, mayors and prefects were asking favors from the former Comptroller. Santos explained in the last part of his testimony that power and blackmail by Polit was well known. He recalled several occasions in which he had heard him talking to Polit by telephone with assembly members, mayors and prefects who asked him for favors and even with the “Mr. Vice President,” who, he said, asked Polit to issue favorable reports of interest in issues related to his management in the Vice Presidency.

Santos, who is in Brazil paying an eight-year sentence for a case in the Lava Jato trial, gave his testimony via telematics from the Ecuadorian consulate in Sao Paulo.

At the end of the procedure, the prosecutor Baca announced that he will investigate the new elements of conviction, provided by José Conceição Santos.

Along with Carlos Pólit were linked by concussion businessmen Estefano Isaías, Mauricio Neme and John Polit. Carlos Ulloa, Polit’s lawyer rejected the version of Santos Filho for considering that the informer cannot be believed, because with his versions he is looking to reduce the penalties for corruption offenses confessed.

Judge Luis Enríquez denied Estéfano Isaías on Monday the payment of bond or guarantee in exchange for lifting the measure of periodic filing, which had already been reviewed at the end of November 2017.

In October 2017, the magistrate decided to link the last three persons, at the request of the State’s Attorney General’s Office. At that time, the linked were outside the country. As part of the measures, new entrants must appear every 15 days before their authority in Ecuador. In addition, they were ruled the seizure of funds, immobilization of accounts and the prohibition to dispose of assets.

International media revealed on August 1, 2017, recordings of a supposed conversation between Carlos Pólit and Santos. In that dialogue, Vice President Jorge Glas and his uncle Ricardo Rivera are allegedly mentioned.

In that alleged recording, Santos said about Polit: “He informed me that he did not agree with the opinions of the Comptroller against the company, he would review them whenever a payment of $ 6 million was made”

This is the second anticipated testimony of Santos, an Odebrecht informer. The first one was done in Brazil through videoconference within the case due to illicit association in which the non-acting vice-president Jorge Glas, his uncle Ricardo Rivera and seven other persons are processed as authors.

The vice president must also attend the trial hearing against him in the National Court of Justice today. The diligence was suspended last Saturday (I)

Source: http://www.larepublica.ec/blog/politica/2017/12/04/jose-conceicao-santos-vuelve-a-declarar/