Concern grows as Mexico president talks of investigation

MEXICO CITY — Mexico President Andrés Manuel López Obrador's insistence on a public airing of a rapidly widening corruption scandal could complicate the investigation and open the case to criticism that it's more about political payback than justice.

Since the former head of Mexico's state-run oil company was extradited from Spain last month, the president has been saying he wants the public to see the details of the alleged corruption that has now implicated at least three former presidents and more than a dozen other politicians.

The allegations of former Petroleos Mexicanos director Emilio Lozoya neatly target López Obrador's two predecessors in the presidency — Enrique Peña Nieto and Felipe Calderón — and his two opponents in the last election — Ricardo Anaya and Jose Antonio Meade — as well as pull back the curtain on one of the president's favorite targets: an energy reform that allowed more private investment in Mexico's state-run oil sector.

Peña Nieto has not commented publicly on the allegations, but the others have issued strong denials.

In essence, Lozoya accused Peña Nieto and his closest associates of using bribes from Brazilian construction firm Odebrecht to help win the presidency and then to pass an energy reform that could greatly benefit that company and others. To that end, Mexican some opposition lawmakers were bribed for their votes, he said. Other allegations carried over from the prior administration of Calderón.

Lozoya handled international relations for Peña Nieto's presidential campaign and then was tapped to run Pemex once Peña Nieto won.

López Obrador wanted the public to see a video Lozoya had given prosecutors and this week somebody — it's not clear who — leaked a video showing opposition political operatives stuffing stacks of cash into a duffel bag.

The president wanted Mexicans to read Lozoya's full statement about the alleged corruption during previous administrations. On Wednesday the document leaked to the news media, generating a public furor and promises from the Attorney General's Office to investigate the leaks.

[GUSTAVO MARTINEZ CONTRERAS/ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO] In this Aug. 17, 2017, photo, Emilio Lozoya, former head of Mexico's state-owned oil company Pemex, gives a press conference in Mexico City. Lozoya, who was arrested in February by Spanish police on an international warrant issued by Mexico, has dropped his extradition fight and agreed to return to Mexico to cooperate in corruption investigations, according to Attorney General Alejandro Gertz Manero on June 30.