More evidence on Medina’s Odebrecht-funded campaigns

Santo Domingo.- The Justice Ministry’s foot-dragging on the investigation and indictment of Odebrecht’s financing of Dominican Republic’s electoral campaigns in in 2012 and 2016, has prompted the Juan XXIII Center, Citizen Participation, Fundación Masada and Santiago Somos Todos, to submit new evidence against those involved.

The organizations, which were later joined by the think tanks Juan Montalvo Center, don’t rule out taking their case to international courts if the country continues on the path of impunity for corruption.

In a press conference the group said that despite the gravity of the crimes, the Justice Ministry failed to advance with the investigation four months after receiving the complaint.

The document read by Citizen Participation (PC) coordinator Marisela Sánchez, specifies that the reference of evidence is reliable and logical.

In order to strengthen the original complaint, the organizations added new evidence related to events that occurred subsequent to their delivery on May 2.

Among them, statements by ruling party (PLD) leader Juan Temístocles Montás, who admitted in a statement of having received contributions for three of his party’s political campaigns by Ángel Rondón, Odebrecht’s commercial representative in the country, during 2008, 2012 and 2016.

Added to that is the statement of co-defendant Víctor Díaz Rúa, in which he affirmed that for the construction of the second stage of the Northwest aqueduct in 2005, then Secretary of the Presidency, Danilo Medina, was the one who personally directed the official delegation that went to Brazil to seek the financial support for this and other public works.

“This statement came to justify how unnecessary was the intervention of Mr. Angel Rondón as an intermediary in the relations between the Dominican State and Odebrecht,” they said.

They said it’s regretful that the Justice Minister is an official politically bound to Medina, for heading one of the campaign support committees.