Two investigated in bribery case in ABC receive judicial benefit

The member of the criminal court of Sucre, René Conde, ordered yesterday the home detention for those accused in the case of alleged corruption in the award of the Sucre-Yamparáez dual carriageway. Chinese businessman Jim Zhejiang and former manager of the Bolivian Highway Administration (ABC) Cristian Rolin Mendieta had been in the San Roque prison in Sucre since September 3.

Jim and Mendieta face a process for the crimes of contracts harmful to the State and breach of duties for an alleged bribe of Bs 18 million that they requested to award the highway construction.

At the appeal hearing, house arrest with sporadic escort was determined for the Chinese citizen, without employment, national rootsbond of Bs 100,000 in judicial deposits, and the prohibition to communicate with members of the project’s qualifying commission.

Mendieta has national roots, prohibition to communicate with the other unionized and the obligation to appear on Mondays at the Prosecutor’s Office.

The complaint was filed by deputy Héctor Arce, from MAS, who He pointed to ABC president Henry Nina and nearly a dozen officials as responsible for receiving the money.

The case was declared in reserve until yesterday, September 13. From today Wednesday it will be possible to know the details of the investigation.

Lawyer Frank Campero, who assumes the defense of Carlos Chipana, a member of the highway contract qualification commission, said that They will request that the name of the protected witness be revealed who would have given places, dates and names of those involved.

“When the reservation is lifted, we will know who the protected witness is and what their participation is.. Anyone can invent a protected witness, we have the right to know who is accusing the crime, “he told EL DEBER.

Impunity
After revoking the preventive detention of the accused, the opposition deputy José Manuel Ormachea denounced that there is a “cover-up” of corruption and that the “impunity” of justice is noted in cases involving the MAS.

The president of the Bolivian Medical College, Luis Larrea, observed a “differentiated treatment” in cases of alleged corruption of the ABC and bribery in the Governor’s Office of Santa Cruz. However, the masista deputy Patricio Mendoza pointed out that no one will be covered up and “whoever falls” will be investigated.