The Prosecutor General’s office of Guatemala has accused the ex-President Otto Perez Molina in obtaining hundreds of bribes in exchange for granting government contracts, illegal financing of Patriotic parties and election campaigns, money laundering. As Reuters reported, in this case on Thursday issued no less than 50 arrest warrants. During the day police arrested more than 20 people.
“We are faced with a criminal structure that has penetrated into power for illicit enrichment,” said attorney General Thelma Aldana, adding that this organization was headed by pérez Molina and his former Vice-President Roxana Baldetti. It is assumed that they received up to 60 percent of all illicit funds.
According to investigators, officials and businessmen has created a corruption scheme in 2011, when the country held elections. This mechanism worked until the autumn of 2015, when against the former head of state was prosecuted on suspicion of involvement in corruption in customs bodies. The Guatemalan Congress unanimously approved the resignation of Perez Molina, he was stripped of judicial immunity and taken into custody.
The new charges affect many other politicians, including former Minister of energy and mines, former agriculture Minister and current head of the national service registration, and business leaders. Investigators are studying 450 cases, when the contracts were signed with violations.
