In what currently represents a setback to the prosecution’s legal action, a problem in the translation of two key documents by a court interpreter, related to the charges against six involved in Odebrecht’s bribery, prevented that entity from failing to support them. the judges of the first collegiate court of the national district.
Its value is a key category for prosecutors, as it has sought to prove its accusation against the group of suspects.
The court, chaired by Giselle Méndez and consisting of Tania Yunes and Jissel Naranjo, took the decision after partially accepting a motion in defense of Andrés Bautista and Conrado Pittaluga, which was joined by Ángel Rondón, Víctor Díaz Rúa, Tommy Galán and Roberto Rodríguez, with the request not to include these tests.
Judicial arguments
The judges were unanimous in their opinion that the documents constituting the evidence 1; 1.1; and 1.2, of the Public Prosecution Service, are in Portuguese and, due to this particular feature, cannot be considered for the trial, except those translated into Spanish.
“We have verified that there are documents in Spanish and documents in a foreign language, so we will only admit those that are in Spanish,” said the president of the court, considering in the absence of a court interpreter, “any document that is in Portuguese should be excluded ”.
Two important tests
These two pieces of evidence include the case in which the Brazilian multinational company admits its debt in paying bribes in the country, from 2001 to 2014, and the leniency agreement between Brazil’s attorney general, the US Justice Department and the Swiss Attorney General. Office. However, the judges will allow the prosecution service to include evidence 1.3 in the debate; 1.4; 1.5 and 1.6, to determine whether the court values the charges awarded by Marcos Vasconcelos Cruz and other collaborations.
Likewise, the court has opposed today’s merit trial hearing, Tuesday at 9:00 a.m., to proceed with the presentation of evidence by the accusing entity.
Content of the tests
The tests 1; 1.1; 1.2, linked to the six defendants in the trial, have sent a detailed notice to Jean Alain Rodríguez that includes the plea deal between the US and the DOJ, the Brazilian Leniency Notice and the statements of Marcos Vansconcelos Cruz, with their respective support data.
According to the evidence claims laid down in the indictment, with evidence number one, the prosecution wants to prove that through the leniency program between Brazil’s prosecution, the U.S. Department of Justice and the Swiss Office of Attorney General, the Constructora Norberto Odebrecht admitted that from 2001 to 2014 he made payments in several countries, including the Dominican Republic, through intermediaries and government officials to facilitate or secure the award of certain contracts for the construction of infrastructure works.
The defense speaks
Called to stop.
Advocate José Miguel Minier, defender of Ángel Rondón, asked lawyer Miriam Germán Brito to “abandon this accusation” as it is “a circus for Dominican justice”.
Minier reiterated his suggestion that representatives of the Public Prosecution Service should stop their charges and therefore close the trial for the Odebrecht case.
Case of Díaz Rúa
For his part, Miguel Valerio, Díaz Rúa’s attorney, believed that once the leniency notice was ruled out because it was in Portuguese, the entire file of the award-winning charges brought by the Odebrecht executives was also banned.