Laura Terán, Pamela Martínez’s assistant, has already been released. His lawyer indicated that he cannot pay the compensation because his salary prevents him from doing so.
Only three of the 20 sentenced for corruption in the Bribery case 2012-2016 have complied with the payments ordered by the Ecuadorian justice as part of the sentence. The total amount that the State Attorney General’s Office has managed to recover is just $ 1.9 million out of a total of $ 14.7 million. That is, only 13% has been collected.
It was September 2020 and 20 people they were ultimately sentenced for bribery. In the group were the former president of the Republic, Rafael Correa, former Vice President Jorge Glas, former ministers, officials and businessmen.
A Court of the National Court of Justice ordered the payment as a measure of reparation to the State. The perpetrators and co-perpetrators of the crime had to pay $ 778,224 each, while the accomplices $ 368,632.
| Participation | Number | Amount to pay each | |
| Mediate authors | two | 778,224 | |
| Co-authors | 7 | 778,224 | |
| Direct author | 9 | 778,224 | |
| Partners in crime | two | 368,632 | |
More than two years later, only three businessmen have complied with this part of the sentence, According to information provided by the Attorney General’s Office:
Víctor Fontana with $ 778,224
Teodoro Calle with $ 778,224
Alberto Hidalgo with $ 368 632
There is still $ to be raised12.8 million other 17 people they have not complied with the payment of compensation. This newspaper sought to talk with the current assemblyman Fausto Jarrín, who defended Correa in the Bribery case. The objective was to find out if the ex-president, who is currently a fugitive from justice, is willing to pay the amount that corresponds to him. There was no answer.
Among the list of people who still have to pay compensation is the former Minister of Public Works, María de Los Ángeles Duarte. His lawyer, Diego Correa, reported that the State “will have to exhaust all means ” to collect. This implies administrative actions from the Attorney General’s Office.
He got out of prison, but without paying compensation
Laura Terán, who was an assistant to Pamela Martínez, Correa’s former adviser, already got out of jail. She served seven months in prison as an accomplice in this network of corruption. You have not paid the $ 368,632 that corresponds to you. Su lawyer Luis Muñoz spoke with LA HORA yesterday. He indicated that “he has not been able to cancel, because his salary prevents him.” Earn close to $ 400 as a secretary. “That was part of our argument regarding the comprehensive reparation that was set for him. They also frozen all the accounts, “said the representative of Terán.
The lawyer indicated that in this case and in the rest of those sentenced, the payment will depend on the actions carried out by the Attorney General’s Office. “This can last for years and during that time everyone can be declared insolvent, even Laura. They tried to come up with a payment formula, but how can it be determined that she pays everything if she earns 400 a month ”.
The Attorney General’s Office seized the accounts
The bank accounts of 17 convicted of bribery were seized by the Attorney General’s Office since last November 12. The entity confirmed yesterday that it does a sweep to know the balance. This action was carried out months later after it was ordered by the Execution Court of the sentence conformed by the judges Walter Macías, Marco Rodríguez and Luis Rojas.
The idea is that the money of the accounts of the sentenced is transferred to the account of the Judiciary. Subsequently they must be remitted to the account of the National Treasure. Until yesterday, the Attorney General’s Office did not indicate how much has been recovered after the embargo.
In addition, the Attorney General’s Office has already requested the same Execution Court to order the Seizure of movable and immovable property registered in the name of the 17 convicted persons. In the event that they fail to make payments, insolvency can be declared.
“To promote these processes, in August 2020, the Attorney General’s Office created the Asset Recovery Unit whose objective is to exercise State sponsorship in the processes of execution of the sentences handed down in criminal cases for corruption that involve former public servants”Said that entity.
Millions must recover the State in other cases
Corruption cases take time to process. The collection proceeds slowly.
In the case of Maria Sol Larrea, in which $ 3.6 million must be recovered for different files, only half a million dollars have been collected after the seizure of jewelry and 50% of the rights and shares of a department in the Quito Tennis sector, eight lands located in the El Empalme canton and a clinic in Quito.
In another case, the one from Petroecuador, $ 12.6 million must be recovered and the Attorney General’s Office has obtained $ 120,000 for assets of Álex Bravo, former manager of the state oil company, in Quito and Esmeraldas. There are, for example, 50% of the rights and shares of a two-story house in the La Concordia neighborhood of the Simón Plata parish in the green province.
