Slow delivery of Odebrecht audits stalls prosecutors

THE PUBLIC PROSECUTOR’S Office, is still waiting for the audits of five Ricardo  Martinelli administration projects  that show cost overruns of $318 million.

The audits were carried out by the office of the Comproller General.

Accounts Prosecutor Guido Rodriguez said that as his office does not have the audits, the legal process is paralyzed.

“The importance of this process is that the state can be compensated,” Rodriguez said.

The Accounts Prosecutor recalled that the Constitution states that one of the

functions of the Comptroller’s Office is to “present for the judgment, through the Court of Auditors, the accounts of agents and public servants when irregularities arise.”

Rodríguez said that there is no deadline for the delivery of these reports.

“There is no deadline, but it is a constitutional duty of the Comptroller to make such a delivery within a reasonable time. If the audit reports have already been submitted to the

Public Ministry to initiate the criminal investigation, they should also be provided to this office,” he said.

The comptroller has not commented on the statements reports La Prensa

At the end of April, the Comptroller General reported that audits of five civil works carried out by the Brazilian company Odebrecht and other construction companies were complete. Sis more  are awaiting auditing.