Martinelli name surfaces in Italian corruption trial

WHILE PRESIDENT MARTINELLI was meeting with head’s of state in Europe on Friday May 31. his name was flashed around the world in connection with a corruption trial in Italy.

It appeared in details of a transcript of an intercepted conversation between Valter Lavítola and Paolo Pozzessere, arrested in Italy for international corruption charges as part of the investigation leading to the prosecution of Naples relationship to the lucrative contracts signed between the Italian conglomerate Finmeccanica and Panama, in 2010.

"Maybe, unless you produce more shit, I can agree with Martinelli and I'll take the 35% of society [Agafea Corp.] and $6 million commission," said Lavítola to Pozzessere – Finmeccanica’s former president in a conversation revealed by the  Naples prosecutor  and published Friday by the Italian newspaper La Stampa and carried as a ront pager lead by La Estrella.
The data was also quoted by Joan Soles, Rome correspondent of Grupo Prisa, which owns Radio Panama, adding that the Naples Prosecutor concluded that "State awards and kickbacks were generated for Panama, in assistance and advice for Agafea society Corp., which leads us to Ricardo Martinelli, to which Italian companies would ensure a bribe of 10%, 18 million euros ($ 3 million) ".
Soles added that "this would explain why Lavítola, in the intercepted call, says it will get 35% stake and 6 million in bribes".
The Prosecutor of Naples also reported the details of a conversation intercepted between Marco Acca, AgustaWestland sales manager, and Bruno Spagnolini, CEO of AgustaWestland (Finmeccanica group two), which agreed to issue statements denying the payment of bribes in Panama.
For this reason, says Soles, the Naples Office considers that the Finmeccanica releasea "have no credibility."

On January 23 , President Martinelli announced with triumphant tone, says La Prensa  the arrival of a letter from Finmeccanica that, he said, clarified what happened with contracts, denying the payment of kickbacks.
"I mean, I got the letter from Italy and I wish all the media and people who are very misinformed on everything that happened with radar, to give the same prominence they gave to all the naysayers” said the president.
The same attitude was assumed by Security Minister, Jose Raul Mulino, concluding the debate closed says La Prensa.
Now, after the latest revelations of the of NaplesProsecuto, we know that it was a strategy of management of Finmeccanica, which has no credibility to the Italian researchers says La Prensa which again sent a questionnaire to Minister Mulino for comment but got no response.
Nor from communications spokesman Luis Eduardo Camacho, nor Presidency Minister, Roberto Henriquez, who in April was adamant that the investigations were closed in Italy, ruling out any irregularities in contracts for $250 million agreed by the Government of Panama to the Finmeccanica group.
The Italian newspaper La Stampa also stressed that the arrest warrant against Pozzessere, Darío Gallo Judge noted that "legal research emerges that Finmeccanica and corrupt practices companies use to get awards from foreign governments, with benefits for foreign officials to decide purchases of industrial products ".
Naples prosecutors Henry John Woodcock and Vincent Piscitelli, who lead the research, relate the helicopter and Pozzessere Lavítola allegedly offered the president Martinelli in anticipation of a payment of $ 30 million, and another payment to the president of Russia, Vladimir Putin.
Prosecutors reached that conclusion, since another of the intercepted calls between Finmeccanica officials revealed concern about giving Putin a helicopter and gave express instructions to deny it.

According to the correspondent of Prisa, Panama President Martinelli appeared Friday in at least 250 Italian media, in relation to the Finmeccanica.corruption scandal.