Latest government bill will benefit people close to government — Deputy

A bill to encourage the construction of gas operated power plants will benefit  people close to the government of President Ricardo Martinelli, said a deputy during debate in the National Assembly.

Deputy Jose Isabel Blandon denounced Bill 485, Tuesday, June 12, before the full Assembly said La Prensa. He said that the adoption of the bill will benefit the Ecuadorian  Jose Dapelo, brother of Mario Elgarresta,  a Cuban-American associated with the Minister of the Presidency, Demetrio Papadimitriu. 

Elgarresta,the deputy said,  was a political consultant in  Martinelli's presidential campaign in 2009. And  Elgarresta appeared in some recordings of a Cabinet Council .

Government deputy Gabriel Mendez described the complaint as gossip Blandon and that when the the Panameñista party was part of the governing alliance Elgarresta’s friend was Vice President, Juan Carlos Varela. 

 According to Blandon, Elgarresta received an award in 2010 and is linked to the company LG Group. He asked the energy secretary, Juan Urriola, the status of that grant. . "We understand that they approached the Ministry of Economy and Finance and what they have is the grant to develop a piece of land, not to start building. Whoever  wants to develop a project in Panama will have to abide by the rules of competition are set out in Law No. 6 " said Urriola.

 Blandon said  that that company was given a grant of 48 hectares of land to develop the theme of liquefied gas and a thermal issue. “This law will benefit the company.”

He continued  if anything has characterized this Government  it is to see people in need of a business. But not a business for the country .. private business, a business close to the Government”

Blandon said that two years have passed since the the company was given the grant "Has the company that is committed to investing invested? ..The suspicion that arises is that this is just a way to value a concession that was achieved through a relationship, and to not develop a project, and then sell the concession".