AMLO says former presidents Enrique Peña Nieto and Felipe Calderón should testify

The president of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, suggested on Wednesday, August 12th, that all the people involved in the Emilio Lozoya case, such as former presidents Enrique Peña Nieto and Felipe Calderón, must be summoned to testify and that evidence must be presented.

In his morning conference from the National Palace, the president was consulted about the information released on Tuesday by the Attorney General’s Office that Emilio Lozoya, former director of Pemex, accused of receiving bribes from Odebrecht, denounced former president Enrique Peña Nieto and Luis Videgaray, former Secretary of the Treasury, for his alleged participation in this corruption scheme and for authorizing bribes for the 2012 presidential campaign.

López Obrador emphasized this Wednesday that evidence must be presented regarding these accusations.

He pointed out that Emilio Lozoya agreed to be a collaborating witness and to give all the information about crimes that were committed, not only in the Peña Nieto administration but also in the previous (Felipe Calderón) administration.

“So the prosecutor has announced that former presidents, two former presidents, as I understood, are involved in possible acts of corruption, also public servants, legislators, one representative, five or six senators, so what’s next? They must be summoned to testify and Mr. Lozoya must present the evidence because he made a public accusation and he is obliged to prove it, “said the president.

He added that if this was a saying without proof, it has no legal, moral, or social value.

AMLO stated that a video has been mentioned and that he, like all Mexicans, would like to see it.

He added that although due process must be taken care of, it is also necessary to be transparent and make public servants’ lives increasingly public.

“Then, all those indicated will be summoned and they will have to testify, that does not mean that they are guilty, but when there is a complaint with these characteristics, then the accused have to testify,” AMLO reiterated and added that the result will be awaited and that the Prosecutor’s Office will continue to report on this subject.