Former Senate president: Odebrecht contract was ballooned

Santo Domingo.- Former Senate president, Ramón Alburquerque (1998-2001) said Monday that he found ballooned costs in the contract to build the Northwest Aqueduct, Odebrecht’s first project in the country, with Andrade Gutiérrez in 2002, and that it was one of the reasons why the project wasn’t approved in his tenure.

After being interviewed for around six hours in the office of Justice minister Jean Alain Rodriguez, the former senator said he also questioned the work’s design.

“That’s when the elections came, and it was decided to leave it for later. Then came the government of Hipólito Mejía and formed a commission and gave answers to these matters, but when it came to be approved it was December 28, 2001, when I was no longer president of the Senate,” Alburquerque said upon leaving around 5:15 p.m.

He added that he didn’t vote in favor of any contract with the Brazilian construction company while he was a senator.