Odebrecht enters deal with prosecutors in Peru
The anti-corruption office of Peru's Public Prosecution Service signed a preliminary deal with Brazil's Odebrecht construction giant in Lima on Thursday (Dec 5) as part of a tax investigation, after weeks of talks and over 11 hours of negotiations. The terms of the agreement include a $8.9 million refund to the Peruvian coffers for Odebrecht's illegal profit in the country and a commitment to cooperate with investigations.
In a statement, the Peruvian prosecutors said the refund “should not be construed to cover the full amount to be awarded in the final agreement, nor is it related to civil indemnities—it applies solely to profits obtained from criminal activities subject to confiscation.”
The note went on to say the advance restitution to the Peruvian government is unprecedented in investigations implicating Odebrecht, and explained it was a condition imposed by the prosecutors to cut a deal with the builder.
As part of the deal, the company promised to provide relevant information and documents to the Peruvian prosecutors, including those relating to its operations in other countries, in order to cut through the typical delays of foreign evidence gathering.
Information provided by Odebrecht will be subject to verification and assessed for relevance by the prosecutors. The company only is party to the deal—it does not involve its executives implicated in the case.
The prosecutors' statement pointed out the relevant authorities in Brazil, the European Union, and Switzerland have also cut deals with Odebrecht. “While we are entering a preliminary deal to expedite discovery proceedings in Peru, prosecution will continue to advance its investigations with Switzerland, Brazil, and other relevant countries.”
The investigations on Odebrecht's activities in Peru began in November 2016.
Odebrecht Peru has also issued a statement confirming it signed a cooperation agreement with Peru's Public Prosecution Service and reaffirming its “commitment to supporting the investigations now underway.”
Translated by Mayra Borges
Fonte: Odebrecht enters deal with prosecutors in Peru
