LIMA, Nov. 13 (Xinhua) -- Former Peruvian President Alan Garcia reiterated on Monday that he had never received bribes from Brazilian construction firm Odebrecht during his presidency.
"Others sell themselves. I do not. Confirmed, as I said. No initials 'AG' in the Odebrecht agenda the payment of backhanders or bribes," he wrote on Twitter.
Garcia added that the recent declaration by the former CEO of the company, Marcelo Odebrecht, to Peruvian investigators in Brazil had not involved him.
"They asked him about two (mentions) of 'AG'. He said the first was the company Andrade Gutierrez. On the other, he said that the president (Garcia) had an interest in the operation of a pipeline. Nothing about bribery," continued the former president.
He denounced that in the government of his successor, Ollanta Humala, the cost of the South Peruvian Pipeline (GSP) rose from two billion U.S. dollars to 7.5 billion U.S. dollars.
Garcia also sided with opposition lawmakers who have asked for Marcelo Odebrecht's statement to be made public, in order to help the Peruvian public clear up doubts.
Currently, two former presidents have been directly implicated. Humala has been preventively jailed for 18 months for his involvement, while Alejandro Toledo is facing an arrest warrant and is currently a fugitive in the U.S.
