- Title: Argentina police search Odebrecht's Buenos Aires office
- Date: 24th May 2017
- Summary: BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA (MAY 24, 2017) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** EXTERIOR OF THE ALEM PLAZA BUILDING WHERE ODEBRECHT'S ARGENTINE OFFICES ARE LOCATED EXTERIOR OF WINDOWS OF THE 32ND FLOOR OFFICES PEOPLE ENTERING BUILDING WHILE SEARCH WAS UNDERWAY SIGN INDICATING FLOOR 32 WHERE ODEBRECHT OFFICES ARE JOURNALISTS WAITING OUTSIDE THE BUILDING VEHICLE CARRYING POLICE AND OFFICIALS PULLING AWAY AFTER SEARCH OFFICIALS COVERING THEIR FACES AS THEY LEAVE WITH MATERIAL FOUND DURING SEARCH VEHICLE PULLING AWAY AS POLICE COVER THEIR FACES FEDERAL POLICE OFFICER ON PHONE OUTSIDE BUILDING EXTERIOR OF THE ALEM PLAZA BUILDING WHERE ODEBRECHT'S ARGENTINE OFFICES ARE HELD
- Embargoed: 7th June 2017 23:44
- Keywords: bribes Brazil Argentina corruption Odebrecht
- Location: BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA
- City: BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA
- Country: Argentina
- Topics: Crime/Law/Justice,Crime
- Reuters ID: LVA0016I7A4HV
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Argentine police searched Brazilian construction firm Odebrecht's Buenos Aires office on Wednesday (May 24) as part of a graft investigation, the company reported in a statement.
Odebrecht earlier this month proposed a leniency deal to Argentine judges as part of its efforts to settle investigations of its use of bribes to help secure lucrative contracts across Latin America.
State news agency Telam said federal judge Sebastian Casanello ordered the operation in search of documents about an alleged bribe related to a water treatment plant.
"The company had presented the same judge an offer for broad and definitive collaboration with the investigations on May 9," Odebrecht reported in a statement confirming police were in its office.
In December, Odebrecht and petrochemical subsidiary Braskem SA settled with Brazilian, U.S. and Swiss authorities a record fine of $3.5 billion dollars (2.7 billion pounds). In that settlement, Odebrecht admitted to bribing officials in 12 countries, including bribes of $35 million dollars in Argentina between 2007 and 2014.
The company has been meeting with Argentine government representatives in the justice ministry and anti-corruption office in recent days.
Prosecutors investigating Odebrecht in Argentina have said the country lacks a legal mechanism for companies to reach a leniency agreement like the one signed in Brazil.
President Mauricio Macri's administration has asked Congress to pass a bill that would allow companies to be punished for corruption and also enable them to sign leniency agreements. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2017. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
