Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Friday 26 May 2017

Argentina authorities raid Odebrecht offices in Buenos Aires

recover the people’s trust ment and state fraud as
through its honest, ethical part of her government’s
and transparent corporate handling of the dollar fu-
behavior,” the statement tures market. She has de-
said. nied any wrongdoing.
Odebrecht is a key focus Since Fernandez ended
of the “Car Wash” inves- her term in December
tigation into a mammoth 2015, President Mauricio
kickback scheme at Bra- Macri’s administration has
zil’s state-run oil company promised to crack down
— the biggest corruption on the entrenched corrup-
scandal in that country’s tion that has long plagued
history. Argentina.
The initial investigation was Macri’s spy chief, Gustavo
launched in 2014 and has Arribas, has also been
mushroomed into related linked to the Car Wash
probes abroad because scandal. Leonardo Meire-
companies like Odebre- lles, a black market money
cht operated across Latin dealer who accepted a
America. plea bargain in the case,
Odebrecht’s executives recently said that the Ode-
confessed to U.S. prosecu- brecht and OAS compa-
tors earlier this year that nies paid Arribas nearly
Federal police guard the entrance of the building where Odebrecht is located in Buenos Aires, they paid around $788 mil- $850,000 in bribes in 2013.
Argentina, Wednesday, May 24, 2017. Argentine federal agents searched the offices of the Brazil- lion to officials in 10 Latin The money was allegedly
ian construction conglomerate Odebrecht in Buenos Aires as part of an investigation into alleged
bribes in the granting of construction contracts for a water treatment plant. American countries and deposited into a bank ac-
(AP Photo/Victor R. Caivano) two more in Africa to get count held by Arribas just
multimillion-dollar contracts before Odebrecht won a
with local governments. construction bid for a main
By DEBORA REY investigation into alleged Cristina Fernandez. They said that included railroad line in Buenos Aires.
Associated Press bribes in the granting of Odebrecht said in a state- paying about $35 million in Arribas denies any wrong-
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina construction contracts for ment it had gone before Argentina between 2007 doing.
(AP) — Argentine federal a water treatment plant. the judge earlier this month and 20014 when Fernan- The raids in Buenos Aires
agents searched the offic- Federal Judge Sebastian and is cooperating with au- dez was in office. came hours after Odebre-
es of the Brazilian construc- Casanello ordered the raid thorities. Fernandez is the subject of cht offered to collaborate
tion conglomerate Ode- as part of a probe into the “The company reaffirms its investigations into alleged with Argentina’s govern-
brecht in Buenos Aires on alleged bribe during the position of collaborating corruption, money launder- ment in the investigations
Wednesday as part of an 2007-2015 presidency of with the law and hopes to
ing, possible illegal enrich- in exchange for a deal.q
Puerto Rico university chief quits ahead of arrest order

By DANICA COTO The university’s gates have tract top-quality teachers,” lion public debt load. usual situation that we find
Associated Press remained locked and the board members who A judge had threatened ourselves in,” she said in her
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico blocked by piles of desks resigned said in a letter to to arrest Fernandez if she resignation letter.
(AP) — The head of Puerto and tires since late March Gov. Ricardo Rossello. did not present a plan to Fernandez served for 13
Rico’s largest public univer- as students protest $450 mil- The University of Puerto Rico end the strike by Tuesday weeks after the previous
sity announced earlier this lion in budget cuts sought serves more than 50,000 afternoon. Fernandez had president resigned along
week that she has resigned by a federal control board students across 11 cam- asked police and justice with several top-ranking
just hours before she faced overseeing the island’s fi- puses. The system already officials for help in reopen- university officials in late
arrest for failing to reopen nances. The island’s gover- has been hit with nearly ing the school, but they re- February, also in protest of
an institution that has been nor has proposed the cuts $350 million in cuts in recent fused to intervene. the looming cuts.
shut down by a student be reduced to $241 mil- years, and professors have Fernandez said she met The university has been
strike for nearly two months. lion, but no deal has been been denied sabbaticals with board members until fined $1,000 daily ever
Interim president Nivia Fer- reached. “Unfortunately, and salary increases. late Monday night but said since a judge ordered it
nandez stepped down the university is being tar- The proposed cuts are they chose not to proceed be opened by May 11.
along with three members geted by a disproportion- among several measures with possible strategies to Students voted earlier this
of the board of governors ate ... and unfair funding the federal control board is reopen the university. She month to indefinitely ex-
of the University of Puerto cut that not only places the pursuing to reduce govern- provided no further details. tend the strike, and they
Rico, including the board’s university’s physical integri- ment spending as the U.S. “I have full confidence in are scheduled to hold an-
president and vice presi- ty at great risk, but also the territory prepares to restruc- a prompt and fair conclu- other meeting on the issue
dent. capacity it still has to at- ture a portion of its $73 bil- sion to the current and un- on Thursday.q