Dominican Govt official was ‘paid’ US$3.5M bribe for warplanes deal

Santo Domingo.- A sales consultant for aircraft makerEmbraer SA on Friday acknowledged in a Brazilian court, to bribing a Dominican Republic government official with US$3.5 millionin a US$92 million deal to buy eight Super Tucano warplanes in 2008.

On Thursday The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported thatconsultant Elio Moti Sonnenfeld made the statements after agreeing to cooperatewith Brazilian authorities investigating a worldwide bribes scheme by Embraer.

In a statement Wednesday, Embraer said it was "fullycooperating" in the case against Curado, but declined to comment onSonnenfeld’s allegations, claiming that the results of the investigation bycompany lawyers are confidential and have been revealed only to Stateinvestigators.

On Sept. 25, 2014, the Associated Press reported that an Embraersales executives agreed to pay US$3.5 million to retired Dominican Air Forcecolonel Carlos Piccini Nuñez, “who then leaned on legislators to approve thedeal and a financing agreement between the Dominican Republic and the NationalEconomic and Social Development Bank,” adding that the sale was completed andthe warplanes were delivered.

Related: www.dominicantoday.com/dr/local/2014/9/25/52822/Brazil-US-target-Dominican-Republic-US92M-plane-deal-WSJ