Zamir Villaverde to Juan Silva: "These days (the payments) come out of these two Chinamen"

In the same conversation on November 4, 2021, produced in the department of the former Minister of Transport and Communications Juan Silva, businessman Zamir Villaverde, after giving him US$ 100,000 in cash in a suitcase for the award of the work Tarata III Bridge, He also promised that the Chinese construction companies they would pay him money in exchange for the award of large-scale public works projects.

During Silva’s administration, between August 23 and November 29, 2021, three Chinese companies in consortium with two Peruvians won 7 contracts for an amount exceeding S/ 804.5 million. All tenders were called by Provías Descentralizado, an agency dependent on the Ministry of Transport and Communications (MTC)

Coincidentally, shortly after the appointment of Silva and Villaverde on November 4, on November 9 and 29, 2021, the Chinese companies obtained two contracts for Decentralized Providers.

The transcription of the content of the recording of the dialogue between Juan Silva and Zamir Villaverde, that the prosecutor Karla Zecenarro delivered to the Nation’s prosecutor, Pablo Sánchez, records the modus operandi of the alleged criminal organization that, according to the tax investigation, would be led by President Pedro Castillo and integrated by former minister Juan Silva and businessman Zamir Villaverde, among others.

YOU CAN SEE: Pedro Castillo’s lawyer denies that the president received S / 30,000 from Zamir Villaverde

Even Villaverde explained to John Silva how he should act to prevent the authorities from discovering the ill-gotten money:

Villaverde: “I am going to speak with the entity so that as soon as possible -in 4 or 5 days-, they give us the payment. Once they give us the payment, it takes 2 days to get into your account. And he (the businessman) a week to get (the money). You know I can’t get a transfer, because it’s not usual. They are late. The truth is, they take out 100 (thousand), 200 (thousand), and thus they gather (the money) and they give us. So there are no traces. They don’t believe in anything. That’s how it is. I live in peace, you too, Don Juanito”.

Silva: “Be careful. That way I won’t see your name everywhere. It’s the truth, then.” (…)

Villaverde: “It is inevitable, don Juan, that my name… I talk to Chinese Civil Companies (China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation), Eyes (probably China Railway No. 10 Engineering Group or China Railway Tunnel Group, which won contracts under Juan Silva), Tapusa (Panels and Bridges, Termirex (of the Pasapera Adrianzén brothers), INIP (Project Integration Engineering, of the Aguilar Quispe brothers), Incox… Everybody will talk, o’e”.

YOU CAN SEE:

The aforementioned construction companies, effectively, obtained millionaire contracts in the management of Juan Silva.

In the dialogue, Zamir Villaverde mentions that the former director of Provías Descentralizado Jose Cortegana Salazar it also sought to relate to Chinese construction companies. But that they trusted him more.

“That (José) Cortegana shows up at the Chinese and they have shown me his phone. He presents himself as an advisor to the deputy minister (Verónica Cáceres Fernández, in office between August 26 and November 9, 2021), who has arrived at the minister. Thus he speaks. If it weren’t for the Chinese who know me…”.

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Then, already in confidence, Villaverde promises that two Chinese construction companies will make payments, according to the tax transcript of the audio:

“Villaverde: So, Juancito, this is a sign from the friends of the first friend (in reference to the delivery of the ‘one hundred grand’, the US$100,000 that he gave him during the meeting on November 4, 2021). Now, from there, these days (the payments) come out of these two Chinamen. And also a sign, what sign? It’s not normal. I can’t come like this anymore (ha ha ha). Nice to meet you, John.”

Former Transport Minister Juan Silva has not only denied knowing Zamir Villaverde but also having held a meeting in his department. The content of the recording that Villaverde gave to the prosecutor Karla Zecenarro disrupts the defense of Juan Silva, a close friend of the president peter castle, whom he met during the teachers’ strikes in which Castillo stood out as a leader.

The events recorded in the audio of November 4 fit with the conversation that the former presidential secretary had on July 25 Bruno Pacheco and Zamir Villaverde. In the conversation it is revealed that President Castillo had decided that Juan Silva would be the Minister of Transport, as part of an alleged plan to control the bidding of two of its most important organisms, National Provias and Decentralized Provías.

YOU CAN SEE: Juan Silva says “he does not remember” if he met Zamir Villaverde and denies alleged receipt of money

Subsequent events, the 8 contracts won by Peruvian and Chinese companies during the Juan Silva administration in the MTC, confirm that there was an agreement to favor these construction companies with these 8 contracts:

a) 8/23/2021: China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation and Project Integration Engineering (INIP), owned by the Aguilar Quispe brothers.

b) 9/21/2021: China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation and Project Integration Engineering (INIP), owned by the Aguilar Quispe brothers.

c) 10/19/21: China Railway N° Engineering Group and Grupo Constructor y Consultor Asociados, owned by the Aguilar Quispe brothers.

YOU CAN SEE: Mirtha Vásquez considers that Pedro Castillo will not complete his 5 years of Government: “There are no conditions”

d) 11/8/2021: China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation and Project Integration Engineering (INIP), owned by the Aguilar Quispe brothers.

e) 9/11/2021: China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation and Project Integration Engineering (INIP), owned by the Aguilar Quispe brothers.

f) 10/25/2021: Termirex, Boards and Bridges (Tapusa) and HB Metallic Structures.

g) 12/9/2021: China Railway Tunnel Group.

YOU CAN SEE: President Pedro Castillo has already accumulated 4 tax investigations in less than a year of government

h) 12/30/2021: China Railway Tunnel Group.

karelim lopez accepted effective collaboration admitting that the consortium it represented (Termirex, Tapusa and HB Metallic Structures) had managed to twist the tender in its favour. And he mentioned that Luis Pasapera Adrianzén, brother of the owners of Termirex, was the one who was in contact with Zamir Villaverde.

On November 4, 2021, when Zamir Villaverde gave US$ 100 thousand to Juan Silva, the amount was part of the payment for the award of the Puente Tarata III project for S/ 232.5 million soles. The US$100,000 was only part of the payment for the awarded work, which is why Villaverde told him that more disbursements would come.

The US$ 100 thousand that Villaverde provided to Silva came from Tableros y Puentes (Tapusa), a Spanish construction company that frequently in consortium with Termirex He has obtained several contracts.

YOU CAN SEE: Former Minister Juan Silva Blames Others for Corrupt Contracts

For example, on September 13, 2021, Karelim López, Luis Pasapera Adrianzén and Segundo Vargas Pasapera, representing Termirex, visited Provías Nacional in the company of Beatriz Coello Palomino and Miguel Pérez Preciado, executives of Tableros y Puentes (Tapusa).

Nothing was free.

Zamir Villaverde, according to the transcript of the audio with Juan Silva, even mentions the percentage of bribes:

“The (Puente) Tarata (III) race (bid) has been won. It’s already won. Yesterday and today 2 more races (bids) are being played. Of course, they are not big, they are 65 (million) and 64 (million). This at 0.5(%), but they are at 80 (millions). But still, we are in control. And this coming week (the tenders) come out big (of) 265 (million)”.

YOU CAN SEE: Pedro Castillo’s lawyer points out that effective collaborators must be rectified or they will be sued

Everything was calculated, even the percentage of the bribe.

Juan Silva in the center of the crime scene

Before the Control Commission and before the media, Juan Silva Villegas has repeatedly denied knowing or having had contact with businessman Zamir Villaverde. The audio from November 4, 2021 flatly denies the former minister.

In an evidence of familiarity with Villaverde, Silva agrees to several of the favors that the businessman asked of him, especially to place his relatives in key positions. In confidence, he recommends that he fire officials who do not agree to his requests, such as José Cortegana.

It is also evident that he was in constant contact with Fray Vasquez Castillo, the nephew of President Pedro Castillo. The audio places Silva at the crime scene.