Former Martinelli spokesman got $785,686 in Assembly contracts

PANAMA’S FORMER presidential mouthpiece, who resigned his post as the director of State Communications and created a group of pro- Martinelli government ventures, netted $785,686 in advertising contracts from the National Assembly.

Legislative Records show that during the two terms of Deputy Sergio Gálvez (CD) as president of the) (2012-2013; 2013-2014), Alfredo Prieto won contracts worth $236,157 on April 15, 2013, and $549,529 for contracts executed between November 2013 and April 2014, reports La Prensa.
The awards were given across 16 contracts, solely and directly, to companies Emporium Prieto, although the state body has a permanent press team and a television station.
The first contracts endorsing the policy of Gálvez was completed in April 2013 for the company Jap Editores, SA, hired for “outreach and publicity at Easter”, published in the weekly newspaper La Opinion, March 28, 2013.
The agreement was for $ 337,000. Transmitted through television spots ( cable channel 35 and channel 68, Cable Onda), linked to Prieto. . The company, according to the Public Registry, was registered in 2011 and is chaired by Rosa Maria Nogueira
The same company was awarded another contract for $49 995, for the dissemination of commercial spots on Channel 35 in May 2013.
In those days, too, Consulting and Advertising Sales, SA also presided over by Nogueira- received a contract to disclose the “legislative events” for an amount of $49,915
There were three more contracts before and during the election period.
Jap Editores, SA was assigned contracts worth $ 99 964964 and Event Production and Entertainment, SA also linked to Prieto and headed by Nogueira- received $ 149,987.
Gálvez also gave Sales, SA a contract for $ 149, 746 for radio spots. While Music Communications, SA registered a contract for $ 99, 831 intelevision spots
Procurement by the Legislature in the period 2013-2014 have not been endorsed by the Comptroller General of the Republic.
Galvez, early in his administration said he would maintain a plan to contain spending.
This is not the first time that the media obtained Prieto State onerous contracts in the last five years says La Prensa.
Companies linked to Prieto received contracts from the Ministry of the Presidency, with contracts for the order of $669 730.
He also received contracts from the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Authority (Ampyme), under the direction of Giselle Burillo, for $30,000
Alfredo Prieto resigned as State communications director on December 29, 2010 and was replaced by Luis Eduardo Camacho.
At that time he was already supplying liquor to several government organizations for social activities, through his company La Fiesta.
He is also known for founding the shadowy movement Avanza Panama,which produced attack ads and issued disruptive legal challenges during the last electoral contest, campaigning against opponents of Democratic Change presidential candidate, José Domingo Arias.
Although the advertising expenditures of the National Assembly, have escalated, leaders of civil society organizations point out that its image of the institution continues to decline.