Former Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto is under investigation as part of a corruption scandal affecting the public oil group Pemex, the Wall Street Journal reported.
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The investigation relates to the actions of the former head of the oil company, Emilio Lozoya, who was arrested in Spain last week and is suspected of having accepted millions of dollars in bribes. According to a senior judicial official quoted by the newspaper on condition of anonymity, corruption " reaches the highest level " and involves the former Mexican president, who left office in late 2018. The former Mexican leader could be charged in part of this investigation, according to the same source cited by the Wall Street Journal Wednesday.
Emilio Lozoya, a very close collaborator of Enrique Peña Nieto, is accused of having received several million dollars from the Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht, who admitted to having paid bribes to many Latin American political leaders. These funds were allegedly intended for the presidential campaign of the former Mexican president. The former Pemex number one started receiving payments from the Brazilian company in 2012, during the presidential campaign of Mr. Pena Nieto, of whom he was an adviser. Mr. Lozoya denies the charges against him.
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