A new accusation comes from the Prosecutor’s Office. It is a tax action within the framework of the case “Odebrecht referees”. Reflectors fall on the lawyer Humberto Abantoknown for its close relationship with Fujimorism, APRISM and Patricia Benavides. The defendants would be involved in a criminal network dedicated to committing significant acts of corruption in processes of arbitration of public projects between 2011 and 2015, in favor of the Brazilian company. In this way, Abanto, along with 28 other citizens – including lawyers and officials of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications – are indicated by acts of corruption.
As the majority, Patricia Benavides’ current lawyer faces charges for being part of a criminal organization and accepting bribes. Like him, the accusation for these crimes extends to Randol Edgard Campos Flores, Luis Felipe Pardo Narváez, Richard James Martín Tirado, Weyden García Rojas, Luis Fernando Pebe Romero, Emilio Cassina Rivas, Ramiro Rivera Reyes, Daniel Martín Linares Prado, Jorge Arturo Mendoza Torres and Roger Aréval criminal
Other accused, in addition to being attributed to the aforementioned crimes, are also allegedly indicated by having committed the crime of aggravated collusion, which implies an illicit agreement between a public official and a individual to disappoint the State. Such is the case of Franz Nunzio Fernando Kundmüller Caminiti, Fernando Cantuarias Salaverry and others.
The elements that fall on Humberto Abanto
Throughout the document that formalizes fiscal investigation, 55 evidence is presented against the lawyer Humberto Abanto. Some of the evidence collected speak of large amounts of money that would have been delivered as bribery in favor of the penalist.
One of these evidence is the CNSA-V letter No. 5724, of September 30, 2022. The document accessed by the Republic details, according to the Prosecutor’s Office, that Abanto received the net sum of $ 78,500, paid by the company Odebrecht. From the Prosecutor’s Office, it is pointed out that the arbitral award by which these payments were generated after a corrupt process, hence its illicit origin. In addition, a letter issued by the Bank of Credit of Peru, sent on March 21, 2023, indicates that a series of deposits were made in the lawyer’s account during May and September 2013. The sum entered to the ABANTO accounts in that period amounts to $ 159,500.
Part of the evidence consigned by the Prosecutor’s Office | Photo: The Republic.
On the other hand, an aspiring Effective collaborator detailed as lawyers involved in the plot of Odebrecht allegedly mentioned Abanto to describe the delivery of bribes: “(Sergio) Calderón (Rossi) he manifested to (Alejandro) Álvarez Pedroza his discomfort for the Odebrecht pressure and that he had to deal with the other arbitrators on the distribution of the agent of the money. He also felt pressed for his coarbiters, saying (to Sergio Calderón): ‘How Jode (Humberto) Abanto for La Plata’.
Free of dust and straw? The dismissals dictated by the Prosecutor’s Office
Just as accusations have been issued, dismissals have also been issued. The dismissal is the action by which it is decided to close a criminal case because there is not enough evidence to continue with the process, because the crime did not exist, because the person is not guilty or because the problem was solved in another way. It’s like saying that research or trial stops and the accused person is free of those charges. In this case, seven dismissals have been issued, between total and partial. All have been for the same crime: money laundering.
Precisely, Abanto has been released from the accusation that indicated him for this crime. To him are added other accused, such as Emilio Cassina Rivas, Mario Castillo Freyre and Daniel Linares Prado. On the other hand, the partial dismissal for Weyden García Rojas, Ramiro Rivera Reyes and Marcos Ricardo Espinoza Rimachi was issued.
