One papers report on Panamas bribery scandal
The visit of the president of Panama to the island of Sardinia, in August 2011 coincided with the start of investigations of Valter Lavítola says La Prensa.
In a full page story providing a lead up to the current corruption allegations the paper reported:
On August 19, 2011, La Prensa published research that told the story of the free transfer of valuable land in Punta Paitilla to a "humble flower seller," through the certification process for possessory rights.
The tracks on the unique process pointed to one of the true beneficiaries of the gift Gabriel Btesh a real estate developer, in partnership with Felipe Virzi.
"I do not know the case, but I am told, more than 200 000 titles have occurred since 1963 in the same way" was the first reaction of the president, Ricardo Martinelli, on the subject.
What was not known then was that President Martinelli did not respond to the publication of the story in La Prensa from Panama, as he was in, or heading to the Italian island of Sardinia, where the former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has his Villa Certosa, scene of his famous parties.
And among those who accompanied the Panamanian leader on that trip, was Gabriel Btesh.
The traveling party included the chairman of the board of the Savings Bank, Ricardo Francolini, and Minister of Public Works, Federico Suarez, according to data published by La Prensa on August 0
A day later, on August 21, 2011, a statement of the Palace of the Herons confirmed the president's trip to Europe."The president, Ricardo Martinelli, traveled on Friday [August 19] in the direction of Germany together with the executive secretary of the Metro, Robert Roy, to receive the two tunnel boring machines that will work on the construction of a subway line"
It was further argued that "on the road, he traveled to Italy to meet with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, in order to finalize the offer of $25 million to build a pediatric hospital in Santiago," explained the President .
Why was this presidential trip kept secret until revealed by La Prensa? Neither the president nor his private secretary, Adolfo De Obarrio responded to this question.
ITALIAN CONNECTION
A few months later, the Italian newspapers La Republica and Il Fatto Quotidiano were aware of the mysterious journey of the President of Panama, because the group included a character of great interest to Italy.
It was Lavítola Valter, who since last Monday has been held in Poggioreale prison in Naples, for his alleged involvement in several crimes, including international corruption by Italian companies in Panama.
At that time, in Italy the contents of wiretaps emerged as part of a criminal investigation for alleged extortion of Berlusconi by Lavitola were published. The talks showed the payment of kickbacks, resulting in the arrests of business executives of theItalian Finmeccanica group.
These intercepts identified the existence of the Panamanian corporation Agafea Corp., which, according to Italian media, would receive 10% of the contracts of $250 million signed with Finmeccanica by Panama for the purchase of 19 radar, 6 helicopters and a digital map.
Originally Italian newspapers reported that Martinelli had met with Berlusconi. However, recent reports show that he just spoke by phone toVilla Certosa, where Lavítola led the group of Panamanians. The new data also reveals that a "member of the Supreme Court" accompanied the group.
There, said the Italian newspapers, the Panamanian leader took a picture "for the media in his country so he could say he had been the guest of Il Cavaliere".
This newspaper [La Prensa] had access to an official report of the Dominican Civil Aviation Institute (IDAC) related to the flight recorder of the Panamanian Air Force Embraer Legacy HP1A 24 August.
The report signed by the head of the Statistics Division of Aeronautics, Junior Calderon noted that on Wednesday August 24 the Air Force came to Dominican Republic from the airport of Santa Maria in the Azores.
That flight arrived at 2:54 am with five passengers at the airport of La Romana, Dominican Republic.
After an hour in the place, left Embraer HP1A Panamanian airport Marcos A. Gelabert.
That same day in the afternoon, Martinelli made his first public appearance to discuss the scandal of the free titling of the of Paitilla. With sleepy eyes, Martinelli also spoke of "a very successful trip" and the search of the two tunnel boring machines in Germany.
Martinelli said that "we have also reached an agreement with the Italian Government, with Post and Telecom … as you well know, the ugly duckling has always been the Government Post Office. We need to modernize, we need resources and we will be helped by the Italians. "
A member of the Board of Directors of the Italian Post, Maria Claudia Ioannucci, hosted Panamanians on the island of Sardinia.
Italian media revealed that the President of Panama and his entourage stayed at a hotel owned by Ioannucci, and that the costs were paid by Lavítola.
"The holidays were borne by Lavítola, who organized the stay from 18 to 21 August 2011", said the news agency Agi.
It is also said that a telephone conversation in which Lavítola and Ioannucci discussed the cost of the stay at 36 000 euros (about $47,200
Besides the hotel, Lavitola rented a boat 7, 000 euros (about $ 9, 200) for two days, paid through a bank transfer.
Nothing has been heard of the agreement with the Italian Post, been since President Martinelli announced it as one of the achievements on Italian soil. And as for the hospital offered by Berlusconi to Veraguas, as we know, there will not be one.
