Martinelli asked economic recognition from Impregilo – witness

FORMER Impregilo President Massimo Ponzellini y confirmed at a court hearing in Naples that Italian businessman Valter Laví¬tola required "economic recognition" on behalf of President Ricardo Martinelli from the Italian construction company.

Lavitola is charged with demanding bribes from Impregilo in exchange for future contracts from the government of Panama. One of the demands was that the firm build a $22 million hospital in Veraguas.

The Italian government intercepted phone calls in which Martinelli allegedly threatened officials from lmpregilo if the work was not done. These included issuing false statements about the company to cause the value of their shares on the Milan Stock Exchange to fall.
Ponzellini said that Martinelli was clear in conversations he had with the president.
"It was a threat. The tone was threatening," he said.