The President of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, questioned this Friday the reparation agreement for 10.7 million dollars offered by the former director of Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex) from 2012 to 2016Emilio Lozoya, to be released from prison for his accusations of corruption.
López Obrador argued that the amount would be higher, remembering that Lozoya is facing two processes: one for the overpriced purchase made by Pemex of the Agronitrogenados scrap plant and another for being the main defendant in the corruption scheme of the Brazilian Odebrecht in the country.
Officials have to see that, but 10 million (dollars) is very little for me. It is that 10 million (dollars) are 200 million pesos. How much did he hand over to legislators? It was so much more than that. And where did that money come from?” the president said at his daily press conference.
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His statements come after revealing on Thursday in the media that Lozoya, a former official of former President Enrique Peña Nieto (2012-2018), reached a reparation agreement with the Attorney General of the Republic (FGR) to leave the Reclusorio Norte in Mexico Citywhere he is imprisoned
Although he was open to a negotiation, the president asked “that they do the accounts correctly.”
If an agreement is reached to repair the damage, I see it very well,” said López Obrador.
“But it has to be a considerable amount, according to what is proven that it was stolen illegally, that they return the money, that the damage be repaired, that is the main thing. The rest, because according to the laws they can continue the trial in their homes, but they must return the money, ”he clarified.
Lozoya faces two processes: Agronitrogenados and Odebrecht
Lozoya, arrested in Spain at the beginning of 2020 and extradited to Mexico in the middle of that year, has two different processes before the Mexican Justice, one for the overpriced purchase of Agronitrogenados from businessman Alonso Anciraowner of Altos Hornos de México (AHMSA), in exchange for bribes.
The Mexican government has estimated that the purchase of Agronitrogenados cost 200 million dollars to the public treasury, of which Ancira has already returned 100 million dollars.
And the second case is for having allegedly received 10.5 million dollars in bribes from the Brazilian Odebrecht during the campaign and subsequent government of Peña Nieto.accused of using the money to approve the disputed reform that opened the energy sector to private investment.
Lozoya’s defense argued that he has elements to frame Peña Nieto and extradite him from Spain, citing former Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo as an example, extradited a few days ago from the United States to Peru for the Odebrecht case, accused of having received 35 million dollars.
López Obrador evaded answering if he would support the extradition of Peña Nieto, but pointed out that the accusation is not enough.
If he doesn’t return the money, and he’s just going to say: ‘it’s Peña Nieto’, no (it’s enough). Let’s see, it’s both, inform well so that the investigation continues and return the money, ”the president settled.
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