WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Treasury Department on Thursday targeted government officials and companies it accused of involvement with corruption, including officials in El Salvador and Guatemala involved in their countries COVID-19 responses.
Thursday’s action, the latest in a series of sanctions announcements marking the week of President Joe Biden’s democracy summit , targeted 15 individuals and entities across several countries in Central America, Africa and Europe, the Treasury said.
“Corrupt acts take resources from citizens, undermine public trust, and threaten the progress of those who fight for democracy,” said Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in a statement.
Those targeted include El Salvador’s Chief of Cabinet Martha Carolina Recinos De Bernal, who allegedly headed a scheme to award inflated contracts as part of the country’s coronavirus response, and a Guatemalan health official who engaged in misappropriation of funds.
Also targeted were two South Sudanese construction companies allegedly given preferential treatment by high-level officials in that country, Liberian Senator Prince Yormie Johnson, Ukrainian Andrey Portnov, accused of buying influence in Ukraine’s courts, and two Angolan former officials accused of embezzling billions of dollars.
(Reporting by Simon Lewis; Editing by Dan Grebler)
