The prosecution of Ecuador reported on Friday the raid on offices of the Presidency and the state oil company Petroecuadoras well as addresses of officials and former officials of both entities, in a case of alleged corruption in public companies.
(Read here: Ecuador: Guillermo Lasso refreshes his cabinet, what is he looking for with the changes?)
“The evidence raised in the operation carried out in Quito will be submitted to expertise and analysis, as part of the investigation carried out by the Ecuadorian Prosecutor’s Office for alleged acts of corruption in public companies.“, said the accusing body on Twitter.
The records are part of the investigation of the so-called “Encounter” casewhich splashes a brother-in-law of the president William Lasso.
The Executive, who denies that there is a criminal structure in the government, said in a statement that “it collaborates and will collaborate with the investigations.”
The evidence raised in the operation carried out in Quito will be submitted to expertise and analysis, as part of the investigation carried out by the Prosecutor’s Office for alleged acts of corruption.
In several tweets accompanied by photos, the Prosecutor’s Office said that the searches were carried out in the offices of the Legal Undersecretary of the Presidency and of the Petroecuador Management and Prosecutor’s Office.
In addition, “the homes of Hugo A., Ítalo C., César P. and Marcos M., investigated in this case, were searched,” in which “storage devices, laptops, cell phones, and documentation were seized,” he added.
Marcos Miranda is the legal undersecretary of the Presidency, while Hugo Aguiar is the current manager of Petroecuador. Ítalo Cedeño and César Pazmiño are former employees of the state oil company, the first was a manager and the second was a management advisor.
The investigations began after the digital portal La Posta revealed on social networks on January 9 an alleged corruption structure set up by Danilo Carrera, Lasso’s brother-in-law.
Audios disseminated by this means allegedly involve Carrera, who is not an official or holds any position in the Lasso government, as well as Hernán Luque, Lasso’s former delegate on the board of the Public Company Coordinating Company (EMCO).
After the scandal unleashed by these complaints, Lasso requested the resignation of the general managers of the 13 companies in charge of the Executive, among which are Petroecuador, the Electricity Corporation of Ecuador, and the National Mining Company.
AFP
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