Prosecutor's Office – Public Ministry's investigations into the Odebrecht graft case will lead to the capture of "fat cats" involved, Peruvian Attorney General Pablo Sanchez assured on Wednesday.
In this respect, the government official denied slowness in the detention of allegedly involved parties, many of whom had fled the country before the investigation began.
Likewise, he called on citizens to be patient and believe in the work of prosecutors in charge of the case.
"Apprehending a 'fat cat' may be complicated, but we will get there. Be patient and let the Prosecutor's Office do its job," Sanchez told reporters.
On the other hand, he said raids and arrests carried out with the National Police were possible thanks to information provided by collaborators, whose input comes "gradually and not all at once."
"We are still working autonomously and investigating, regardless of who may fall," the magistrate pointed out.
He went on to add a lot of people do not want the investigations into Odebrecht's bribes to succeed.
"I have not been subjected to pressure, but this is a massive, paramount case. I dare to say it is the biggest case we have ever seen, in which plenty of people must be involved," he stressed.
Agreement
Concerning the agreement with the Brazilian conglomerate, Sanchez reiterated the S/30 million (about US$9.11 million) Odebrecht must pay to Peru "do not constitute a compensation."
"This is an upfront payment based on a potential future negotiation at the end of the process. It does not constitute a reparation, as we do not deal with that [...]," he explained.
Lastly, the Attorney General guaranteed a careful investigation, preventing any mistake that may bring down the case.
Remarks were made following the opening of Lima Magdalena del Mar district's Third District Prosecutor's Office.
As is known, the family-owned conglomerate admitted to having distributed US$29 million in bribes among Peruvian officials in 2005-2014 to secure public contracts.
(END) JCC/CCR/DHT/MVB