Elmer Chirre, Peru's Specialised Prosecutor for Corruption, and Amado Enco, Specialised Anti-Corruption State Attorney, have jointly recovered over PEN 65 million (USD 19.5 million) in the first successful asset recovery case related to Operation Car Wash.

The assets were not confiscated, but rendered as civil reparations by the construction company at the heart of the investigation, Odebrecht, as part of a plea deal with the Peruvian authorities. The case relates to Odebrecht's payment of bribes to obtain the contract for the construction of a major highway in the Áncash region of western Peru, the so-called "La Centralita" case.

The first PEN 40.2 million were obtained in 2018, with the remaining 25 million being paid earlier this year. Criminal proceedings for corruption and money laundering are underway against a governor of Áncash and other alleged bribe-takers in this case.

Asset recovery experts from the Basel Institute's International Centre for Asset Recovery, through our Peru country office, assisted in the development of the Mutual Legal Assistance and case strategy aimed at obtaining financial documents from foreign financial centres that Prosecutor Chirre used to support the investigation.

Learn more

Read an exclusive interview with Elmer Chirre by Oscar Solorzano, Senior Asset Recovery Specialist and Country Manager for the Basel Institute's Peru office.

Photo: Left - Odebrecht offices in Lima, photo by Thcerbedo; Right – Elmer Chirre, Peru's Specialised Prosecutor for Corruption.