Guatemala court blocks anti-corruption agreement
By SONIA PÉREZ D.
yesterday
GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — A Guatemalan court has tossed out an agreement that made it easier to prosecute bribery involving the Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht — a ruling that favors a former cabinet official accused of corruption.
The decision announced late Friday adds to a series of moves reversing efforts to uproot corruption involving the Central American country’s political and business elite.
The appeals court annulled an agreement under which Odebrecht had promised to give Guatemalan anti-corruption prosecutors information about bribes it had paid in Guatemala — one of many countries across the hemisphere where it systematically suborned public officials.
. . .
Under pressure from prosecutors in the U.S., Brazil and elsewhere, the company has admitted paying bribes across Latin America to win government contracts. The company has cooperated with prosecutors in several countries to regain the right to do business. It allegedly paid $17.9 million in bribes to local officials, politicians and private citizens in Guatemala.
More:
https://apnews.com/article/politics-caribbean-central-america-guatemala-fdaa27bcec922db46ea8e65028332cf4
