Odebrecht ruling ‘transcendental’ anticorruption fight: prosecutor

Santo Domingo.- Justice minister Jean Rodríguez on Wed. called judge Francisco Ortega’s ruling “transcendental” for the fight on corruption and illicit enrichment, with the incarceration several of the 14 indicted in the case of Odebrecht’s admitted bribe of US$92.0 million, to secure public works contracts.

He said the sentence marks “the beginning of the journey” towards an end to impunity in the country, noting that it was handed down after the Office of the Prosecutor demonstrated the defendants’ links to the bribes, conspiracy, malfeasance, prevarication, embezzlement, illicit enrichment and money laundering.

The ruling’s harshest penalty was levied against Angel Rondón, considered the “bagman” in the bribe scheme, and will spend one year in La Victoria Penitentiary to await trial.