Odebrecht paid $16 million for CD presidential bid

THE BRAZILIAN  Construction company Odebrecht   donated $16 million to the  2014 presidential campaign of CD candidate José Domingo ‘Mimito’ Arias  and his vice-presidential running mate Marta Martinelli, the wife of ex-president Ricardo Martinelli.

Brazil’s Supreme Court unveiled  on Thursday, May 11,the confessions of Mónica Moura and her husband, Joao Santana, who ran the campaign.

The confessions indicate that the couple received $11 million from Odebrecht as part of the cost of the campaign that would ultimately cost $21 million. The documents stated that Odebrecht committed to pay an additional $5 million.

In addition to Odebrecht’s $ 16 million, Moura confessed that then President Ricardo Martinelli gave him $500,000 in cash at the Palacio de las Garzas.

Odebrecht had received billions of dollars in contracts from Martinelli, who had hand picked the candidate to keep the party he founded and funded, in power.

“Joao Santana did not want to do the campaign because of lack of time and political affinity. Emilio Odebrecht

asked [former Brazil president] Lula to convince Santana, who ended up accepting. Mónica Maoura negotiated with President Martinelli himself the total value of $21 million for the campaign.

“Martinelli confirmed that he could pay but that Monica should receive money from abroad through payments made by Odebrecht,” the document states.

The court also has documents that include the contract between the CD and Moura’s company, bank statements and airline tickets.