Varela claims pressure to appoint consul now under investigation for extortion
Panama’s vice president and former Foreign Minister of Panama, Juan Carlos Varela, disclosed Monday, November 14, that he had been pressured by President, Ricardo to appoint as honorary a man now under investigation for extortion.
Varela said in La Mesa, Veraguas that Martinelli asked him three times to appoint Valter Lavítola as honorary consul of Panama in Rome. "I refused to sign his appointment. He [Martinelli] gave me verbal instructions on two occasions and one last time in writing but my recommendation to the President was that the appointment was not appropriate," he said
"I never agreed to sign the appointment …I did it to defend the interests and image of Panama and to protect the president himself “ said Varela. "I think that the president would be wrong, because this appointment was not good for the image of the government or the country." said Varela who is president of the Panamanista Party.
" Despite the pressures I got to sign the appointment, fortunately for the good of the country, we were able stop that time, ” said Varela, who attended on Monday the civic parade to celebrate the rallying cry of the district of La Mesa in Veraguas, for the separation of Panama from Colombia in 1903.
Lavítola is a former consultant of Finmeccanica and is being investigated in Italy country for the crime of extortion against former prime minister of Italy. Silvio Berlusconi.
President Martinelli, who is traveling in Europe, said via email that "I do not remember that Imade ??this request to the Vice President Juan Carlos Varela. As President I have the power to make appointments, however, this person has not been appointed consul in anywhereThe vice president he wants to divert attention from a some irregular payments, which have come to light and which may not be justified and divert attention for the injury he did to the vice minister of the Presidency Chandeck Lucia, " he said in the email, according to the Ministry of Communications..
