LatinNews Daily - 06 January 2022 |
MEXICO: FGR charges former Pemex director? |
On 5 January, Mexican judicial sources confirmed to national media that the federal attorney general’s office (FGR) had requested a prison sentence of up to 39 years for Emilio Lozoya, the former director of Mexico’s state-oil company (Pemex) (2012-2016) for his alleged role in the Odebrecht corruption scandal.?? Analysis:? The case against Lozoya, who stands accused of receiving bribes of at least US$10m from Brazilian engineering firm Odebrecht, has been dragging its heels for the past year-and-a-half after Lozoya struck a plea-bargain deal with the FGR. The arrest and now charging of Lozoya suggests the evidence he promised of the scheme’s beneficiaries has not materialised. The development is good news for President Andrés Manual López Obrador’s government, which had been criticised for lack of progress in the case.?
Looking Ahead: According to reports, the indictment against Lozoya was presented to José Artemio Zúñiga Mendoza, the judge at the Reclusorio Norte prison where Lozoya is being held. Zúñiga must notify the defence in the next ten days about the opening of the trial. This latest development suggests that progress is finally being made in the high-profile case.?? |