Fiscal de la Nación arremete contra Rafael Vela y José Domingo Pérez por caso Odebrecht

Peru's Attorney General, Tomás Aladino Gálvez, commented on the congressional report questioning the plea bargain agreement with Odebrecht and once again scrutinized the role played by prosecutors Rafael Vela and José Domingo Pérez in one of the country's most significant anti-corruption cases. During an interview on the program "Esta Noche," Gálvez maintained that the Public Prosecutor's Office became politicized in 2015 and 2016, and asserted that ideologically driven investigations were conducted against authorities, politicians, and prosecutors. "Everyone knows that, in reality, starting around 2015 or 2016, the Public Prosecutor's Office became quite politicized, conducted ideologically driven investigations, and there was certainly persecution of various authorities, various people, and various politicians," he stated. The Attorney General was asked about the final report of the Congressional Multiparty Investigative Commission on the plea bargain agreement signed between the Peruvian State and Odebrecht. The document approved by Parliament reviewed the negotiation, ratification, and execution of the agreement, as well as its potential economic and legal effects to the detriment of the Peruvian State. Gálvez was direct in referring to Rafael Vela and José Domingo Pérez, former members of the Lava Jato Special Team. “When I refer to Vela and Pérez, I have always said they worked for Odebrecht. That plea bargain was a stain on the Public Prosecutor's Office, on the country, because they worked to cover it up,” he stated. The Attorney General assured that both will be investigated and affirmed that he had previously denounced them for their actions in the case. The congressional report warns of alleged irregularities in the agreement with Odebrecht. According to the investigative group's findings, the agreement only included four projects, despite the fact that more projects linked to the Brazilian company had been identified. It also questions whether the agreement granted benefits to the construction company before fully verifying the information provided by its former executives. The document also points to alleged evidence of crimes committed by prosecutors, former officials, and others involved in the case. Those named include José Domingo Pérez, Rafael Vela, Zoraida Ávalos, Gustavo Gorriti, Jorge Ramírez, Silvana Carrión, and Pablo Sánchez. According to Congress, the plea bargain agreement ultimately benefited Odebrecht and not necessarily the interests of the Peruvian state. JUÁREZ ATOCHE, PRAYER AGREEMENT, AND “PRO-CRIME LAWS” The Attorney General also commented on the case of prosecutor Germán Juárez Atoche, who was preventively suspended for six months as part of a disciplinary investigation for the alleged manipulation of a plea bargain file. Gálvez acknowledged that he had previously trusted Juárez Atoche because of his work on important investigations, but indicated that there are now serious matters that must be investigated. Finally, Gálvez rejected the notion that the law limiting plea bargaining is a “pro-crime” law, arguing that this label is a political construct. “This law, specifically, is in accordance with the law and the Constitution, seeking to protect fundamental rights, the presumption of innocence, and due process,” he stated. He also warned that legal concepts such as money laundering and asset forfeiture are being interpreted arbitrarily in some cases, affecting citizens who end up being implicated in investigations without knowing who the true perpetrators are. #AladinoGálvez #RafaelVela #JoséDomingoPérez #OdebrechtCase #LavaJato #PublicProsecutor #PleasureBreaking #CongressOfPeru #CorruptionInPeru #PeruvianPolitics