Decision time: Panama a victim in bribery scandal?
PRESIDENT Ricardo Martinelli has until Friday, June 27 to make one of the major decisions of his term in office.
He has to decide whether Panama will become part of a civil lawsuit in Italy focused on bribes of up to $25 million that were allegedly paid to officials within his government in exchange for a $250 million defense contract from the consortium Finmeccanica.
While President-elect Juan Carlos Varela could make the decision after he takes office July 1, the trial is slated to begin on June 27. Once it begins, Panama would be precluded from taking part as a victim, reports La Prensa
Widespread coverage of the allegations and corruption investigations involving former Italian Prime Minister, Berlusconi, top officials at Finmeccanica and the Svengali-like Valter Lavitola, the link man between Italy and Panama, has cast a cloud over the outgoing administration.
Requests for Martinelli to appear as a defense witness for Lavitola have been ignored.
The defendants in the case are Valter Lavítola, who is accused of facilitating the bribes, and Paolo Possezzere, the commercial director of Finmeccanica.
Lavítola’s attorneys have asked for the trial to be delayed until after Martinelli leaves office, believing that having Panama join the proceedings will help their defendant. But Italian judges have declined to delay it.
By not appearing, Panama loses the rights to collect any damages in the Italian court system.
