The Public Prosecutor´s office sets its own pace in the investigation of the Odebrecht case

The Public Prosecutor´s office admitted yesterday it has still not sent requests for criminal assistance to Brazil and the United States for the alleged payment of bribes by the construction company Odebrecht to government officials.

Attorney General Galo Chiriboga explained that in the US case, the document is being translated and could be delivered today. Something similar happens with the request that will be sent to the Brazilian authorities.

This contrasts with the actions taken by another of the countries mentioned in the investigation carried out by the United States Department of Justice: Panama.

Two prosecutors from that country arrived yesterday to Quito to meet with their Ecuadorian counterparts to work in another case. They came to share information about the so-called ‘Panama Papers’ and their relationship with the corruption network within the state company Petroecuador.

Javier Caraballo is one of them. When asked about the actions that his country has taken in response to the statements by the Brazilian businessmen, he said that requests for criminal assistance have already been sent to Brazil and the United States and are they awaiting a response.

“Yesterday (Tuesday) by order of the national prosecutor a group of Panamanian prosecutors left for Washington, precisely, to enable that country to provide information that allows us to advance the investigation,” he explained.