15-country prosecutor summit to unite Odebrecht probes

PROSECUTORS from 15 countries are meeting in Brazil to coordinate the investigation into the Odebrecht construction company  whose former president  and senior executives still languish in jail.

The summit is being  led by Brazil’s chief prosecutor, Rodrigo Janot, who invited his counterparts after receiving numerous requests for information about the case, which has ramifications on three continents.

“It is a way of responding to so many data requests,” said a source working on the logistics of the meeting.

Odebrecht has admitted to paying $788 million in bribes in a dozen countries, including Panama, which

Has  sent  a representative to the conference.

The case has already had ramifications across the region.

Peru issued an arrest warrant for former President Alejandro Toledo, accused of receiving millions of dollars from Odebrecht, and allegations have also been made against Argentine intelligence chief Gustavo Arribas and Colombian leader Juan Manuel Santos.

All  have denied the charges.

In Panama the founding partners  and two other lawyers of the law firm Mossack Fonseca, are in preventive detention and Interpol has processed international arrest warrants for the two sons of ex-president Ricardo Martinelli.

A source from the Argentine Public Prosecutor’s Office, told AFP that the meeting will serve to “streamline mechanisms of cooperation between countries should new information arise to trigger investigations.” Argentina has already requested information related to Arribas.