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UFECIC-MP/MACCIH-OAS Team Presents Twelfth Case of Integrated Criminal Investigation, entitled: "Narco-politics"

The Special Prosecutor's Unit Against Corruption of Impunity of the Public Prosecutor of Honduras (UFECIC-MP) today filed before the Anticorruption Circuit an injunction against 12 citizens accused of being part of a scheme that allowed the laundering of money from international drug trafficking through works contracted with the Honduran State, most of which were not carried out.

The injunctions presented are the result of an investigation carried out by the Integrated Criminal Investigation and Prosecution Team, composed of prosecutors and investigators of the UFECIC-MP, with technical support from the experts of the Mission to Support the Fight against Corruption and Impunity in Honduras (MACCIH) of the Organization of American States (OAS).

In the case entitled "Narco-politics," the following people are accused of money laundering, fraud, falsification of documents, and bribery:
1) FABIO PORFIRIO LOBO LOBO
2) DEVÍS LEONEL RIVERA MARADIAGA
3) MIGUEL RODRIGO PASTOR MEJÍA
4) WALTER NOÉ MALDONADO MALDONADO
5) DEYSI MARINA ZUÑIGA MENDEZ

and 7 more people.

The spokesman of the MACCIH, Luiz Guimarães Marrey, said that "this joint action demonstrates once again the commitment of the MACCIH-OAS to continue promoting the fight against corruption through State institutions, in strict compliance with the mandate conferred on us by the Convention signed on January 19, 2016 between the Government of the Republic of Honduras and the General Secretariat of the OAS."

The case "Narco-politics" is the twelfth case of integrated criminal investigation presented by the team formed by UFECIC-MP and MACCIH-OAS. The previous ones were: Fraud on the Gualcarque; Network of Deputies; Petty Cash of the Lady; Impunity Pact; Pandora; Asset Insurance; Brother's Petty Cash; Fraudulent Social Security Tender; Open Ark; Patuca III Collusion and corruption, as well as the requirement of insurance of assets related to the Petty Cash of the Lady case.

The case

1. The present investigation arises from the declaration of Devís Leonel Rivera Maradiaga, made before a judge of the United States of America, where he states that he came into contact in 2009 with the candidate of the National Party José Porfirio Lobo Sosa, a who gave him money for his election campaign and at the same time, he suggested that in return they would form companies to which, once they won the election to occupy the Presidency of the Republic, they could be given contracts by the State.

2. For that purpose, once the purpose of reaching the Presidency of the Republic hadbeen achieved, Mr. Porfirio Lobo Sosa names Mr. Miguel Rodrigo Pastor Mejía as secretary in SOPTRAVI; and as Director of Highways Mr. Walter Noé Maldonado, who awarded the company INRIMAR, created by Mr. Devís Leonel Rivera Maradiaga, 21 contracts for a total of 68 million, three hundred and twenty six thousand, six hundred and ninety Lempiras (L.68,326,690.55), which apparently had the objective of carrying out works in the departments of Olancho and Tocoa.

3. These contracts were granted, without the company INRIMAR complying with the requirements established by law to contract with the State, through the division of 16 contracts to avoid public bidding.

4. The other 5 contracts were granted through Emergency Decrees signed by Mr. Porfirio Lobo Sosa in the Council of Ministers, due to the emergency caused by the tropical storm AGATHA. However, in these emergency decrees the Olancho department was not included in principle (which was the place where the contracts were supposed to be developed by INRIMAR, basically because Olancho had not suffered major damages caused by said storm), the department of Olancho was later included in an extension that was made to the Emergency Decrees.

5. The works assigned by these contracts were mostly not done and even part of the money allocated for these contracts was not collected until years later, because the purpose of the assignment of these contracts was basically to prestige and legitimize the company INRIMAR, to be able to launder money from international drug trafficking through that company. Even the contracts served to put them in guarantee before the banks where loans were processed in favor of INRIMAR.

6. There is also evidence of the collusion that existed between Mr. Miguel Rodrigo Pastor Mejía and Walter Noé Maldonado Maldonado, with Mr. Fabio Porfirio Lobo Lobo and Mr. Devís Leonel Rivera Maradiaga, as there is documentation showing that Mr. Miguel Rodrigo Pastor Mejía and Mr. Walter Noé Maldonado travelled together with Fabio Lobo in a helicopter paid for by Mr. Devís Leonel Rivera Maradiaga, during the election campaign and in addition there is evidence that it was Mr. Fabio Porfirio Lobo Lobo, who was responsible for the contracts being granted to INRIMAR by SOPTRAVI, even though at that time there was no budget available in said institution to pay for those contracts.

7. It is worth mentioning that although most of the works were not carried out, it was falsely proved that they had been made and delivered, in order to partially make the payments that were made for the granting of said contracts.

WE KEEP WORKING!

Reference: E-036/19