Martinelli says he won’t go to Italy to testify
PRESIDENT Ricardo Martinelli has no intention of putting his head into the lion’s cage in Italy by appearing as a witness in corruption cases while lawyers say he could be investigated for extortion.
"I have nothing to do in Italy. If they want some statements of mine I will give them here [in Panama] he said , when asked if would come as a witness in the case of alleged extortion of the Impregilo company by his former friend , Valter Lavítola.
Martinelli – said repeatedly on Monday, May 12, when questioned on Telemetro that he "has nothing to do in Italy " because it is a case between Lavítola and former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi.
"I do not believe the prosecution will call me. The only thing I would say is ' I know nothing about it," stressing that" he would not travel to Italy.
On May 8, at a hearing in the Court of Naples, Lavítola’s lawyers considered the testimonials of Martinelli and Cuban-American businessman Rogelio Oruna , as "indispensable" as they have perfect knowledge of the facts.
Italian judicial sources confirmed to La Prensa that Martinelli has the status of “investigated " for " complicity" in the extortion case and therefore , the Office of Naples would open a prosecution once his term ends on June 30.
Lavítola is accused of coercing executives of Impregilo , which is part of the consortium responsible for the expansion of the Panama Canal, with the promise of the award of future d of contracts in Panama in exchange for financing the construction of a pediatric hospital in Veraguas, that Berlusconi had promised, but ultimately failed to deliver.
One of the Lavítola lawyers said Tuesday reports La Prensa that Martinelli "is no ordinary witness, but would be investigated for extortion , the same level as Lavítola
“ He has not come because he still has immunity, but if he comes to Italy they can proceed against him . Surely he knows this and so does not want to come ,"said the lawyer.
Martinelli has backed away from Lavítola and Berlusconi, despite publicly acknowledged in June 2010 that Italy has always been committed to helping Panama, says La Prensa.
"We sometimes noticed when negotiating with Europe, there was an invisible hand that truly solved all the problems and that was the hand of Italy and Berlusconi " he said at the time, and he called Berlusconi, now disgraced in Italy, "a friend"
On Tuesday it emerged that Berlusconi's lawyers , Niccolo Ghedini and Michele Cerabona – also asked prosecutors to cite Martinelli as a witness in another case
According to research by the Office of Naples, Impregilo's promise to assume the costs of the construction of the hospital was actually "a cover to indirectly deliver to President Martinelli, through Oruna , undue economic profit ."
" It makes me laugh that a hospital has been a bribe," Martinelli told Telemetro.
Lavítola’s lawyers also asked to call as witnesses Oruna , Berlusconi , former Impregilo president Massimo Ponzellini and managing director of Impregilo , Alberto Rubegni .
The prosecution has cited as witnesses the Italian ambassador to Panama, Giancarlo Curcio , and rmer head of Impregilo in South America, Luciano Reguzzo.
The latter declared to Naples prosecutors Vincenzo Piscitelli and Henry John Woodcock, tha he had paid " hidden away " to Lavítola 50,000 euros ( about $70,000 ); y that would have served to cover vacations to the island of Sardinia in the summer of 2011.for Martinelli and other Panamanian officials.
Also cited is journalist Joan Soles and Mauro Velocci, a principle witness for Italian prosecutors in other cases against Lavítola and the Panama representative of a company that was to build modular prisons.
Martinelli has accused Velocci of "inventing this scandal" that , in his view , was " magnified " in Panama
"Hopefully when it starts to collapse, all those people who have slandered me to will have the nobility to say they were wrong," Martinelli said Monday.
For the extortion case, the prosecution has provided evidence of wiretaps , statements condemning Lavítola , letters and conversations between Berlusconi and Impregilo managers, the Italian Foreign Ministry and the Italian Embassy in Panama .
One of those wiretaps conducted by the Italian courts, occurred in August 2011 , and between Oruna and Lavítola . This recording reveals that Martinelli was willing to defame Impregilo if it did not build the hospital in Veraguas.
IMMUNITY LOOPHOLE
Martinelli , in an interview with Telemetro , about possibly taking a place in Parlecan as a former president said: " I have not thought about that yet ," contrary to what he publicly stated on July 26, 2013.
At that time, the president stressed that he would not joins "the Central American Parliament because he requires no immunity reports La Prensa
"I have no interest ( being part of the Central American Parliament ] , I have not done anything , I do not feel guilty of anything ," he said then, while indicating that " cannot say that the Central American Parliament a den of thieves because they do not know what type of people are now in Parliament."
During the 2009 election campaign, Martinelli said that " Parlacen was useless, it was a den of thieves that generated expenses for millionaires."
" I do not think this is in my priorities , because I have many more interesting things to do than be looking for immunity ," said Martinelli.
