Ecuadorian Attorney General Inigo Salvador has pressed aggravated bribery charges against 24 people, including former President Rafael Correa, his vice president and several ministers as part of an investigation into illegal donations to Correa's political party
QUITO (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 19th November, 2019) Ecuadorian Attorney General Inigo Salvador has pressed aggravated bribery charges against 24 people, including former President Rafael Correa, his vice president and several ministers as part of an investigation into illegal donations to Correa's political party.
"This [corruption] scheme was led by Rafael Correa Delgado, president of the republic, who appointed persons whom he fully trusted as ministers and secretaries ... The fact that these people have always revolved around Rafael Correa Delgado and consistently and intermittently held high posts is no accident," Salvador said at preliminary hearings on Monday.
According to the attorney general, a complex corruption scheme was created at the level of the president, vice president and government ministers to manage bribes received from businesses in exchange for state contracts.
The amount of damage to the state inflicted by the corruption from 2012-2016 exceeds $7 million, Salvador said, requiring triple compensation.
According to the investigation, the corruption scheme used secret codes, multiple bank accounts, cash transactions and other methods to conceal identities of those involved in the affair. In addition, illegal funds intended for electoral activities were not declared to a supervisory watchdog.
"Former President Correa personally received $6,000 worth of a loan, $5,000 to celebrate his birthday, $34,700 for PAIS Alliance T-shirts, $582,000 for advertising, and $100,000 for the campaign 'Rafael With You Forever,'" Salvador added.
Ex-President Correa and his supporters consider the case against him to be politically motivated. The defense demands that the investigation be stopped, citing procedural violations.
