73-year-old Polit Faggioni Convicted of Money Laundering and Forfeits $16.5 Million in US Court

  • Ecuador’s ex-Comptroller General Carlos Ramon Polit Faggioni sentenced to 10 years in prison for bribery and money laundering scheme tied to Brazilian construction company Odebrecht
  • Polit convicted of conspiracy to commit money laundering, concealing money laundering, and transacting in illegally derived property
  • Over $10 million in bribes received between 2010-2015 in exchange for favorable treatment of Odebrecht projects in Ecuador
  • Ecuadorean businessman also bribed Polit to obtain contracts from state-owned insurance company
  • Odebrecht implicated in $800 million bribery scheme across 12 countries, paid up to $4.5 billion in settlements
  • Company filed for bankruptcy in 2019 and changed name to Novonor in 2020

Former Ecuadorean comptroller general Carlos Ramon Polit Faggioni has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for his involvement in a bribery and money laundering scheme with Brazilian construction company Odebrecht. He was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, three counts of concealing the money laundering, and two counts of transacting in illegally derived property. Between 2010 and 2015, Polit accepted over $10 million in bribes from Odebrecht in exchange for favorable treatment of their projects in Ecuador. He also received bribes from an Ecuadorean businessman to help obtain contracts with a state-owned insurance company. The U.S. Justice Department stated that Odebrecht, involved in a $800 million bribery scheme across 12 countries, paid up to $4.5 billion in settlements for its actions. The company filed for bankruptcy protection in 2019 and changed its name to Novonor the following year.

Factuality Level: 8
Factuality Justification: The article provides accurate information about Carlos Ramon Polit Faggioni’s sentencing and his involvement in a bribery scheme with Odebrecht. It also mentions the company’s connection to Operation Car Wash and its payment of $4.5 billion in bribes across multiple countries. However, it could provide more context on the corruption probe and the specifics of the bribery scheme.
Noise Level: 3
Noise Justification: The article provides relevant information about a former Ecuadorean comptroller general being convicted for his role in a bribery and money-laundering scheme involving Odebrecht, a Brazilian construction company. It also mentions the broader context of Operation Car Wash and the company’s involvement in corruption. The article stays on topic and supports its claims with evidence (the conviction and fines). However, it could benefit from more analysis or discussion of long-term trends or consequences.
Public Companies: Odebrecht ()
Private Companies: Novonor
Key People: Carlos Ramon Polit Faggioni (Former Ecuadorean Comptroller General), Howard Srebnick (Lawyer representing Polit)

Financial Relevance: Yes
Financial Markets Impacted: No
Financial Rating Justification: The article discusses a corruption probe involving Brazilian construction company Odebrecht and its role in bribery and money-laundering schemes, which had financial implications. However, it does not directly impact financial markets or specific companies.
Presence Of Extreme Event: No
Nature Of Extreme Event: No
Impact Rating Of The Extreme Event: No
Extreme Rating Justification: There is no extreme event in the text and it doesn’t mention any event that happened in the last 48 hours.
Deal Size: The deal size mentioned in this article is $4.5 billion.
Move Size: No market move size mentioned.
Sector: All
Direction: Down
Magnitude: Large
Affected Instruments: Stocks

Reported publicly: www.wsj.com