Moreno says assembly president and attorney general must face consequences of audio tape revelations

President Lenin Moreno said Wednesday that the National Assembly president and attorney general must “face the consequences” of revelations of a recent audio tape scandal. Both assembly president Jose Serrano and attorney general  Carlos Baca are members of Moreno’s Alianza Pais (AP) party.

President Lenin Moreno

Moreno met Thursday with member of AP to deliver a stern message.

“You are well aware of my stand on this and other ethical issues,” the president said. “When public officials make a mistake they must face the consequences and they have an obligation not to drag public institutions into their own problems.”

He added that Serrano and Baca have the right to defend themselves before the National Assembly.

Last week, Baca released a taped telephone conversation he says proves Serrano is conspiring to remove him from office. In the audio tape, assembly president José Serrano and former comptroller Carlos Polit discuss releasing documents that could force Baca from office. Polit fled to Miami last year after evidence surfaced that he had accepted millions of dollars in bribes from Odebrecht, the Brazilian construction company.

The plot apparently involves the presidential aspirations of Serrano and Baca.

Serrano does not deny the authenticity of the tape but demanded an investigation into how Baca obtained the tape and why he released it. The first question was answered Wednesday when Polit said he was the one who taped the conversation. Baca answered the second by claiming that he fears for the life of his family and wanted the public to know.

Serrano and Baca will have a chance to present their cases today during a full session of the National Assembly.