According to information published by Ideele Reporteros, Jorge Barata has clarified a number of points regarding corruption involving former president Alejandro Toledo presented a year ago to the Brazilian authorities. They provide some new information on the bribes paid to secure the Inter-Oceanic highway contract.

They detail meetings with Toledo’s right-hand-man Avi Dan On in 2004. Barata was invited on several occasions to the presidential palace to discuss “counterparts” to be paid to Toledo. Barata says he was admitted by a side door to avoid being admitted as an officially-registered visitor.

He also relates how two Israeli citizens, Gideon Weinstein and Sabi Saylan, with close ties to Toledo, asked for US$35 million, or 10% of the value of the contract. Of this amount only US$20 million was paid, according to Barata. The bribe would be paid, through Toledo’s Israeli colleague Josef Maiman, if and when Odebrecht won the contract.

Barata tells of the construction project only becoming profitable when subsequent supplementary additions were added to it. So as not to appear to register a loss, Odebrecht simply added extra costs to the project. Part 2 of the Inter-Oceánico came out 149% more than the original estimate; Part 3, 74% more.

Jorge Barata is due to offer further testimony at the end of this month or at the beginning of January. This could well offer further incriminating evidence as to the misdeeds of Peru’s political and business elite.