QUITO: The Occasional Specialized Commission for Truth, Justice and the Fight against Corruption of the National Assembly of Ecuador, which is investigating an alleged corruption scheme in public companies, approved this Wednesday the final report recommending a trial politician against the country’s president, Guillermo Lasso.
With six votes in favor and one against, the Commission approved the report, so it will now be turned over to the plenary session of the National Assembly.
The document indicates the alleged responsibility of the president in the ‘Encuentro Case,’ as it was called by the State Attorney General’s Office (FGE) —which opened an investigation in this regard—or ‘The Great Godfather,’ as it is known in the media.
Among the conclusions of the Commission, the lack of actions by the Executive to prevent the Commission of crimes such as bribery, embezzlement, and concussion is established. Therefore, he was recommended to be tried for the alleged Commission of crimes against state security.
The ‘El Gran Padrino’ case was uncovered last January when the local newspaper La Posta exposed an alleged corruption network operating mainly in the National Electricity Corporation (CNEL) and the Electricity Corporation of Ecuador (Celec). Later it was pointed out that the plot also extended to the state oil company Petroecuador.
The plot, according to the journalistic investigation, would be led by Danilo Carrera Drouet, brother-in-law of President Lasso, who, despite not having any position in the Government, manages public companies and is the one who decides which private firms work with the State and which do not. , in exchange for bribes.
It was also revealed that Carrera and his trusted operator, Rubén Cherres, would have influenced the appointment of positions in different positions in the Government.
