Brewery boss queries Martinelli intervention in legal dispute

PRESIDENT Ricardo Martinelli’s Twitter intervention in a legal dispute between a brewery and Panama’s Soccer federation has received a quick sharp response.

Cervecería Barú Panamá general manager Helene Weesie expressing her surprise said Monday, April 29  in a La Prensa interview "My thinking is why a President with so many charges and so many important things to attend to, throws out a message about this?.”

The brewery had a court order freezing the assets of the Panamanian Football Federation (Fepafut) because it had reneged on a sponsorship deal and had not paid money owed to the brewery,
Martinelli Twitted that the brewery should withdraw the freeze order and said "Their fight is against all of Panama, and is now with me.",
Weesie, said the matter should be left in the hands of the justice system and the Heineken owned company was not afraid of government retaliation.

She shared with Martinelli a love of football, and she pointed out that the company had been helping the  Panama Federation for two years before signing a  four year sponsorship contract of $120,000 a year at a time when the national team was not on an an upward trajectory. 

In addition to the annual payment the brewery had made other investments in the national soccer program including the clubhouse and special events.

The Dutch born manager had 20 years experience with the Heineken brewery giant before coming to Panama three years ago.