Top Odebrecht case defendant pins bribe blame on colleagues

Santo Domingo.- The defense for former Public Works minister Víctor Díaz Rúa affirmed Thursday that he will not “beat the bush” to show that the accusations bribery, illicit enrichment and others are a fallacy.

They presented as evidence five addenda for more than US$221 million that the Justice Ministry says he signed to bilk funds from two major aqueduct contracts, signed by Frank Rodríguez, Mariano Germán and Alberto Holguín, former directors of water agency Inapa, and the current director, Horacio Emilio Mazara, not for him.

They said to finance the expansion of the Northwest Aqueduct, Díaz visited Brazil as part of a delegation headed by current president Danilo Medina, who at the time was Former president Leonel Fernandez’s chief of staff.

Incriminating irregularities total US$221 million:

Addendum I – US$49 million, signed by Rodríguez on January 3, 2009, for the aqueduct in Samaná.

Addendum 2- US$39 million, signed by Germán on April 2, 2009, for the complementary work of Samaná, conclude the Las Terrenas aqueduct.

Addendum 3- US$62 million, signed by Germán on September 7, 2010, for construction and rehabilitation of the Hermanas Mirabal aqueduct.

Addendum 4- US$23 million, signed by Holguín on May 14, 2012, for the construction and rehabilitation of the Hermanas Mirabal aqueduct,

Addendum 5- US$48 million to extend the Hermanas Mirabal aqueduct to Tenares, signed on May 10, 2013 by Mazara (under construction).