Bob McCarty Writes

UPDATE 9-4-09 at 12:09 p.m. Central: Just learned that the judge in the $27 billion environmental lawsuit filed by Amazon Defense Coalition against Chevron in Ecuador has recused himself.  Details here and here!

Chevron Corporation released a statement today regarding the response by the government of Ecuador to evidence filed Monday regarding judicial misconduct by the judge in a lawsuit involving the company in that country and evidence of an apparent bribe scheme associated with the case:

“We welcome news of the decision by the prosecutor general to open a formal investigation into the evidence we presented to his office Monday, August 31,” said Charles James, executive vice president of Chevron Corp.  “We hope that his investigation will be thorough, independent and transparent, and that he makes his findings public.

“We are disappointed, however, that certain government officials, and persons associated with the plaintiffs, have attacked Chevron for bringing evidence of wrongdoing to light,” James continued.  “When asked by a local reporter what the Ecuadorian government should do, Alexis Mera, legal advisor to President Correa, stated that the prosecutor general should begin by investigating Chevron’s lawyers.

“In the same response, Mr. Mera stated that the recordings have ‘no legal value.’ As legal advisor to President Correa, Mr. Mera must recognize that his statements to the media only raise further concerns of prejudgment and government involvement in the Lago Agrio trial.

“Chevron has not asserted that Mr. Mera was involved in wrongdoing as indicated in the video. However, Mr. Mera is directly referenced in the transcripts and videos turned over as evidence to the prosecutor general on Monday (see transcript excerpts included below). Mr. Mera’s apparent direct interest in the investigation is difficult to square with the standards of impartiality and transparency we hope will characterize the investigation by the prosecutor general.”

Yesterday, I published three posts (below) related to Chevron’s release of video tapes which appear to implicate Ecuadoran government officials in a growing bribery scandal:

• Scandal Erupts in Chevron-Ecuador Environmental Lawsuit; $3MM Bribery Scheme Caught on Tape!

• Transcript: Ecuadoran Officials Caught on Tape Seeking $3 Million in Return for Favorable Ruling

• Amazon Defense Coalition Responds to Allegations of Bribery by Accusing Chevron of ‘Dirty Tricks’

To read 18 months worth of blog posts about the $27 billion environmental lawsuit against Chevron in Ecuador, click here.