Energy Secretary Renee Ortiz can no longer hide his anger at the successive corruption cases that have been exposed in US courts and launched a strong warrant.
Revelation The Swiss oil broker or “trader”, Gunvor, would have paid about $ 22 million in bribes. For senior Petroecuador officials to find work it was The drop that spilled the cup.
These include “business” Obtaining internal and private information about the company And mediate questioning Prevent oil, At the initiative of the government of Raphael Correa.
“With Real amazement, Ecuadorian citizens see how United States justice permanently prosecutes and condemns Ecuadorian citizens and foreigners, for Corruption acts in the public company Petroecuador, Directed by. “
The minister informs the last director of the state oil company, Gonzalo Maldonado, appointed in December 2020.
Then the minister Urging Petroecuador to “act decisively, In the face of such acts that inflict enormous damage on the country. ”
That is, he asks To “move” to save the rest of the company’s international profile And to “take effective action to get to the bottom of the cases, Help discover corrupt officials, How many bribes they received. ”
And work to establish it “What decades suffer from vices? And try to recover those funds that are badly needed to cover the country’s needs. ”
The minister asks the leadership of Petroecador To provide the Attorney General’s office “with all information,” Data and cooperation, so that these events are investigated. ”
In short, he orders the company to “take tough action”.
And it makes a A summary of the issues that rocked the oil company In recent months, including:
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Laundromat Raul de la Torre
In November 2019, Raul de la Torre Prado, an official at Petroecuador, pleaded guilty to a court in Florida (USA) of the money laundering offense.
He admitted, “ Between 2018 and June 2019, the defendant, who then worked as an official at Petroecador, conspired with other officials in Petroecador and the government of Ecuador and with certain people in a scheme to receive millions of dollars in bribes, in exchange for using his position to allow the company to obtain contracts and contractual payments. From the company Petroecuador and preserved. “
Alongside de la Torre, Roberto Barrera was also arrested. He said in his statement that he was close to a senior official at Petroecuador, who oversaw the award of contracts, as well as payments, at that company.
All this according to the minister’s memo.
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Vitol, one of the largest commercial brokerage firms in the field of oil and petroleum products in the world, “reached a settlement in late 2020 with the US Department of Justice, regarding corruption charges.”
As part of this agreement, the minister says, Vitol agreed to “pay about $ 164 million to the US and Brazilian authorities, after admitting to bribing officials from the oil sector in Brazil, Ecuador and Mexico over a period of 15 years, ending in July 2020.”
What did Ecuador do to get compensation? Ask the ministry.
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Seguros Seguros Eternity
The ex-president of the Seguros Sucre Council was accused of money laundering in Florida. This is after three British companies were advised to obtain contracts illegally.
The name Juan Ribas Dominique is not new to Ecuadorians. It relates to the former president of the Seguros Sucre who was Sentenced, on March 23, 2021, to pay 51 months in prison to L. Money laundering crime.
According to th An investigation with the US Department of Justice, former chief of insurance Sucre accepted bribes totaling US $ 5.03 million for taking advantage of his position at That three reinsurance companies – based in the UK – either obtained or maintained contracts With the Ecuadorian state insurance company. This would have happened between 2013 and 2017.
Payments for these The bribes were paid through intermediaries, including other reinsurers.
Some of this illegal money was laundered in Miami. The news jumps when you’re in Ecuador has begun the trial of former director of Seguros Sucre, Jose Luis Romo Rosales and his wife Veronica Harrow. Both are also accused of money laundering.
The session started on March 22, 2021.
Minister Ortiz asks the million-dollar question: “What does this conviction relate to the circumstances in which it is Petroecuador renewed the Seguros Sucre policy 18 times You contracted with this company directly and without mediation in the bidding process?
The minister concluded by saying that he expects the Petro-Ecuador company to be awardedThe great importance of fighting their internal corruption“.
It demands that he and the public be informed of the measures taken and what the state oil company will continue to do “Face and try to end this scourge,” What is the immense unbearable corruption at home It is the largest company in the country. “
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