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Maduro demands justice be done for any officials bribed by Odebrecht

Xinhua, February 13, 2017 Adjust font size:

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro called on Sunday for justice to be served in the cases of any Venezuelan officials who have taken bribes from Odebrecht, the Brazilian construction company linked to major corruption schemes across Latin America.

Speaking on his weekly television program, the president spoke about the ongoing investigation across Latin America concerning bribes paid by Odebrecht to secure public works contracts.

"I give my full support to the Public Ministry and the Judiciary so that justice can be done in the Odebrecht case. Those guilty of receiving bribes must go to jail," Maduro said.

He also said that current projects awarded to Odebrecht in Venezuela would be taken over and "finished with Venezuelan workforce, engineering and investment," adding he would not accept any more delays.

Venezuelan Judiciary has made the request to certain Swiss banks for information about bank accounts held by officials that has links with the Odebrecht contracts.

Being the largest construction company in Latin America, Odebrecht has been operating in Venezuela since 1992 and has taken over a number of both public and private works.

The company, now at the eye of a maelstrom of corruption, bribery and influence peddling, first came under investigation by the Brazilian judiciary as part of Operation Car Wash, which unveiled the gigantic corruption ring within state oil company Petrobras.

However, an investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice and the confessions of 77 company executives have pulled back the curtain on corruption links extending across the region. Endi