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Mexican president shows video of alleged bribe taking

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Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Tuesday showed a video allegedly revealing two former officials receiving bribes, amid a corruption scandal involving a former advisor to ex-president Enrique Pena Nieto.

Pena Nieto's former strategist Emilio Lozoya last week claimed that multi-million-dollar bribes from Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht had financed the presidential campaign that brought him to power in 2012.

Lozoya also accused Pena Nieto and his then finance minister Luis Videgaray of buying votes for structural reforms in 2013 and 2014 including the opening up of the energy sector.

In the video, which was posted on YouTube on Sunday, two former Senate officials linked to the opposition National Action Party (PAN) are allegedly seen receiving wads of bills that they stuff in suitcases.

Lopez Obrador broadcast the video at his daily news conference, complaining that the media "are not giving it the importance" it deserves.

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"We're going to show it here. We're helping to spread it so that you can see how much money they received," he said.

Lozoya, who went on to head state oil giant PEMEX from 2012 to 2016 during the Pena Nieto administration, is standing trial on corruption charges linked to Odebrecht.

The 45-year-old, who was extradited from Spain last month, pleaded not guilty and was given the status of cooperating witness.

According to Attorney General Alejandro Gertz, Lozoya says he has several witnesses and has provided receipts and a video to support his accusations.

Lopez Obrador said it was up to Gertz's office to say if the video posted on YouTube had been submitted by Lozoya to support his accusations.

However, sources quoted by Mexican media suggested it had not been presented as evidence to prosecutors.

Lozoya also linked former president Felipe Calderon, who was in office from 2006 to 2012, to alleged irregularities in Odebrecht's construction of a petrochemical plant in Mexico.

Lopez Obrador said last week that both of his predecessors "have to testify" about the allegations.

Odebrecht has admitted to paying hundreds of millions of dollars in bribes to win contracts in 12 countries, including Mexico.

The scandal has brought down ex-presidents and top officials in countries including Brazil, Peru and Colombia.

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