Senator questions Panama ministers inconsistencies

ITALY'S FOREIGN MINISTRY on Monday distanced itself from multi million dollar sales contracts between  Finmeccanica and the Panamanian Government, although  signed by the then Italian  leader.

The contracts for radars, helicopters and digital cartography  are worth $250 million dollars.

A spokesman for the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said “It is a strictly commercial relationship  of Finmeccanica, so that the Italian Government has nothing to say."

In Panama, two members of the opposition, Juan Carlos Varela and Balbina Herrera questioned the role of Valter Lavítola (the apparent sales manager of Finmeccanica to Panama, now a fugitive from Italian justice) and the Panamanian government, which was given preferential treatment.

The contract was signed by former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and President Ricardo Martinelli.

Italian  Senator Elio Lannutti, who questioned the inconsistencies in the statements of the Security Minister, Jose Raul Mulino, and the content of contracts of Finmeccanica, told La Prensa that  he has spent years criticizing the handling of the Italian group and the activities of Valter Lavítola, and has made raised at least 40 parliamentary questions on the subject, but never got a response from the government of Silvio Berlusconi.