With 108 affirmative votes, 20 negative and seven abstentions, the plenary session of the Legislature -which met virtually- agreed to give a longer term to the commission that analyzes the so-called Encounter Case, referring to the alleged corruption in public companies and alleged links with the Albanian mob.

The group, made up of seven assembly members, had planned to deliver the conclusions this Wednesday, February 22, however, they asked their colleagues for more time, given the volume of information received.

The president of the commission Viviana Veloz explained that since January 10, 2023, when the team was formed, they met 19 times, received more than 40,000 pages of information and more than 2,000 documents on contracts.

The final report should be ready on Friday, March 3, and will include conclusions and recommendations, including possibly the impeachment of President Guillermo Lasso, who was summoned twice and did not appear.

Veloz denounced the day before that both she and other assembly members who are following the investigation received death threats.

The Union for Hope (UNES) bench held Lasso responsible for the security of legislators.

The threatened commission investigates the complaints from the digital media outlet La Posta about the existence of an alleged network of corruption in public companies in the energy sector, led by Danilo Carrera, brother-in-law of the ruler.

The most recent revelations also involve Rubén Chérrez (close to Carrera), who apparently had ties to drug trafficking, especially with the Albanian mafia, which could have been used to finance Lasso’s electoral campaign on his way to the presidency.

The absence of the head of the Executive at the appearances is interpreted as a lack of interest in clarifying the complaints against his government. ef/npg/avr