LIMA, Peru (AP) – The Brazilian construction giant at the center of Latin America’s largest corruption scandal says there is no indication the payments made to a consulting firm owned by Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski were illegal.
In a letter shared Saturday, Odebrecht Peru says the payments to Westfield Capital were officially accounted for and made exclusively to Kuczynski’s business partner.
It was unclear whether Odebrecht’s disclosure would do anything to sway lawmakers keen on voting for Kuczynski’s ouster on grounds the president failed to disclose the payments.
FILE – In this Nov. 11, 2017 file photo, Peru’s President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski attends the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Danang, Vietnam. Kuczynski is in hot water over decade-old payments he received as a consultant to a Brazilian construction firm at the center of Latin America’s biggest-ever graft scandal. (Jorge Silva/Pool photo via AP)
Congressional leaders initiated impeachment proceedings against Kuczysnki Friday following revelations Odebrecht-led consortiums paid Westfield Capital $782,000 between 2004 and 2007. Kuczynski was a government minister during much of that time.
The president has denied wrongdoing and is scheduled to defend himself before lawmakers on Thursday.
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