Politico demands probe of presidents in Odebrecht US$92M+ bribes

Santo Domingo.- Minority Al-Pais partypresident Guillermo Moreno on Friday demanded that the Justice Ministry investigatepresident Danilo Medina and former leaders Leonel Fernandez and Hipolito Mejía,in the heels of Brazilian contractor Odebrecht’s admitted bribes more than US$92million to Dominican Republic officials.

The political leader said Odebrecht’s contractsfor the country’s most important and expensive construction projects in thelast 15 years could only be investigated seriously if it includes thepresidents and their closest associates.

"In the face of this scandal ofinternational dimension Dominican Justice cannot have sacred cows. PresidentDanilo Medina himself should provide a special explanation because his last twocampaigns were designed and directed by Joao Santana, indicted by the Brazilianjustice for coordinating part of Odebrecht’s corrupt framework in differentcountries," Moreno said in a statement.

He also noted that Medina’s administration hasyet to explain the ballooned cost by more than US$1 billion of the PuntaCatalina coal-fired power plant, and why a project of such magnitude wasgranted to a company with no experience in that field.