Martinelli clear winner in hand-out stakes

Martinelli clear winner in hand-out stakes
FORMER PRESIDENT Ricardo Martinelli (2009-2014) spent $55.7 million in discretionary payments, without being accountable to anyone. In his last quarter in office he handed out $5 million.

The figures come from a report released Wednesday September 3, on the Ministry of the Presidency website.
According to the document, the ex-president spent $3,499,900 in May, coinciding with the final stages of the election campaign and the end of his presidential term.
With these figures, Martinelli ranks as the biggest spending president in the country’s history.
La Prensa lists the spending of his predecessors: Ernesto Perez Balladares (1994-1999) $22.3 million, Mireya Moscoso (1999-2004) $23 million and Martin Torrijos (2004-2009) $25.3 million