Former Pemex Director Emilio Lozoya Austin. Photo: Google

XINHUA

Former Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto accepted bribes from the Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht and bribed lawmakers, Emilio Lozoya Austin, the former head of Mexico’s state-run oil company Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex), said Tuesday, Aug. 11.

Lozoya, who is in custody on corruption charges for his alleged participation in a bribery scheme, made the remarks to Mexican attorney general’s office.

In a video message, Fiscal Attorney General Alejandro Gertz Manero said that according to Lozoya, both Pena Nieto and his former finance secretary, Luis Videgaray, participated in the bribery scheme and used part of the money to buy congressional votes to secure passage of a controversial energy reform bill.

Lozoya was recently extradited to Mexico from Spain to face charges of accepting $10.5 million in bribes from Odebrecht between 2012 and 2014.

Some $4.4 million  in bribes was also used to pay for foreign political consultants to help Peña Nieto’s election campaign in 2012, Lozoya said.

Lozoya provided receipts, video footage and four witnesses to support his claims, said Manero, adding that authorities planned to review the evidence.

Lozoya served as the head of Pemex between 2012 and 2016, and was arrested in Spain in February on an outstanding arrest warrant issued by Mexican judicial authorities, before being extradited to Mexico earlier this month.

…Aug. 12, 2020