Ecuador’s Former Comptroller General Indicted in Case Tied to Odebrecht

The U.S. Justice Department also alleges an Ecuadorean businessman bribed Mr. Polit all over 2015 to aid him receive contracts from Seguros Sucre SA, the condition-owned Ecuadorean insurance enterprise. Another member of the conspiracy helped cover the bribery proceeds by using Florida organizations registered in the names of associates, normally with no their know-how, according to the Justice Division.

The co-conspirators utilised the bribery gains to acquire and renovate authentic estate in South Florida, amid other spots, and to purchase dining places and other firms, according to the Justice Section.

The office charged Mr. Polit with one particular rely of conspiracy to commit revenue laundering, a few counts of concealing cash laundering and two counts of engaging in transactions in criminally derived assets.

A law firm representing Mr. Polit declined to remark.

Mr. Polit faces up to 20 years in prison for each and every rely of dollars laundering and conspiracy to dedicate cash laundering if convicted, and up to 10 decades for each count of engaging in transactions in criminally derived property, the Justice Section said. A pretrial detention listening to is established for April 1 in Miami.

Odebrecht was the goal of Brazil’s so-referred to as Operation Auto Wash, a sweeping probe that exposed widespread corruption amongst Latin America’s corporate and political leadership.

U.S. prosecutors explained Odebrecht efficiently managed a “department of bribery” that paid out much more than $700 million to officials around the environment. Odebrecht in 2016 entered into settlements with authorities in the U.S., Brazil and Switzerland, and last year transformed its title to Novonor.

Write to David Smagalla at [email protected]