Brazil Agrees To Share Odebrecht Files With Peru Investigators

Nearly US$15 million has been confiscated by the Peruvian Anti-Corruption Prosecutors Office and more may be seized after Brazil agreed to share its files on the Odebrecht corruption scandal, Prosecutor Hamilton Castro said Friday.

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After agreeing to Brazil's terms, information extracted from two computer systems used by Odebrecht's Department of Structured Operations, known as 'Box 2,' will be delivered to Peruvian investigators in the corruption case.

Box 2, which was based in Switzerland, mirrored the Brazilian construction company's illicit activities across the Latin American continent. Castro said he believes the information will allow Peru's special team of investigators to pursue new fiscal inquiries.

"This information will serve to enrich elements of conviction for cases already open but also to open new lines of research from the analysis of the processing of these data," said Castro, praising the efforts of Peruvian National Prosecutor Pablo Sanchez.

To obtain rights to the computer systems, My Web Day and Drousys, Peru had to agree to only use the files for the Odebrecht investigation and ensure the documents are not shared with any political institutions for political use.

Sanchez told local media: "The Attorney General of Brazil guaranteed that they will continue to collaborate with us on the subject of the investigation."

Late November, the Brazilian company admitted to financially supporting Peru's former presidents Alan García, Alejandro Toledo and Ollanta Humala, as well as opposition leader Keiko Fujimori, the daughter of former dictator Alberto Fujimori.

Brazil's Operation Car Wash investigations, involving the Odebrecht construction conglomerate and its petrochemical subsidiary, Braskem, stretch well beyond the country's borders.

They've cooperated with Brazil's federal police to reveal bribes that were paid to public officials in Latin America and elsewhere. Company executives have been found guilty of illicitly acquiring contracts since 2001, and admitted paying more than US$788 million in 2016 to at least 12 countries.

Numerous ministers, presidential candidates and presidents, as well as businessmen and their associates, were reportedly party to the payout.

Since then, Latin American authorities have arrested several figures, some more high-profile than others, in connection with the ongoing investigations.