Colombia files new corruption charges against 22 people in widening Odebrecht scandal

The Prosecutor General’s Office of Colombia has declared charges against an additional 22 individuals over alleged corruption ties with the Brazilian construction giant, Odebrecht.

As per the Prosecutor General’s statement on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), “Odebrecht executives allegedly crafted a corrupt network, channeling more than 80 billion Colombian pesos (around USD 20 million) as bribes in Colombia.”

“The new round of charges involves company executives, lobbyists, contractors, and others.”

The alleged corruption scheme consisted of three stages: securing mega-contracts, altering contract objectives, and executing bribe payments through firms registered in tax havens.

Key Odebrecht figures, including former group president Marcelo Odebrecht, are set to face charges related to organized crime and money laundering.

On August 15, President Gustavo Petro spotlighted the company’s unchecked activities in Colombia, asserting that the Brazilian offenders in Colombia remain unpunished and Odebrecht hasn’t paid any fines levied in Colombia.

Petro urged the public ministry to revisit and, if necessary, reopen the Odebrecht-related cases to trace the bribe recipients.

In January 2010, Odebrecht secured a contract related to the Ruta del Sol Project to construct a 528-kilometer stretch in central-northern Colombia.

Bribes associated with this deal amounted to 11.493 billion pesos, with a former deputy minister already sentenced in this regard.

Between 2020 and 2023, the Prosecutor General’s Office pressed 20 charges in Colombia related to the Odebrecht case, resulting in 11 convictions.