Mexico’s former President accused of corruption and bribery

Mexico’s former President Enrique Peña Nieto is accused of corruption and bribery by prosecutors. 

The ex-head of the state energy firm Emilio Lozoya accused Mr. Nieto of taking millions of dollars in bribes and bribing MPs. 

Mr. Lozoya was working as the top official during Mr. Peña Nieto’s 2012 campaign. He was serving as the head of the state-owned oil company Pemex from 2012 to 2016.

According to the international news agency, Mr. Lozoya said that Mr. Peña Nieto and former Finance Minister Luis Videgaray had ordered him to funnel more than $4m in bribes from Odebrecht into the 2012 presidential election campaign.

He also alleged that Mr. Peña Nieto and Mr. Videgaray used the same amount to bribe lawmakers for the passage of a crucial energy reform bill through parliament.

Mr. Lozoya also claimed that he has four witnesses, video, and documents against the former president.

Mr. Peña Nieto and Mr. Videgaray have not commented on the allegations. But Mexican Attorney General Alejandro Gertz considered the allegations significant enough to be investigated.

According to the international news agency, a witness testifying at a US trial of Mexico’s drug cartel kingpin Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán said last year that Mr. Peña Nieto had accepted a $100m (£77m) bribe from the mobster.