The company filed a lawsuit on Wednesday with the International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) funded by the World Bank, even though it has a collaboration agreement with the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office on bribes and electoral contributions paid by the firm to Peruvian politicians.
Zeballos described as ironic that Odebrecht, despite having incurred in large cases of corruption, several of them expressly admitted, has «the freshness of going to arbitration.»
The claim refers to the project of the Sur Peruano natural gas pipeline, in charge of a consortium in which the Odebrecht firm had as partners Enagas company, of Spain, and Graña y Montero company, of Peru, for a contract the government cancelled because the consortium did not fulfill with obtaining the financing of the work in the established term.
According to Zeballos, the cancellation was direct responsibility of these companies and the Peruvian State had the power to cancel the contract facing the breach of its legitimate right to defend its interests against major violations.
For his part, Rafael Vela, coordinator of the anti-corruption prosecutors, commented that the demand generates «unnecessary turbulence» and asked Odebrecht for information on it, to analyze it and establish if it contradicts the collaboration agreement, which is not at risk.
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