Panama helicopter bribe investigation heats up

AS A KEY PLAYER in Panama’s dealings with Finmeccanica, heads to court to face charges in corruption scandals, the hiring of a leading Italian law firm is a step towards helping the Government of Panama to determine whether there was “bribe” in the business transaction between the State and the Italian company Finmeccanica, in the $250 million purchase of radars and helicopters..

This was revealed by Panama’s Minister of Public Safety, Rodolfo Aguilera, after announcing that the law firm Hogan Lovells Studio Legale will represent Panama in any civil and criminal cases that develop in Italy linked to the Finmeccanica scandal reports La Prensa
Aguilera added that the Government will decide the fate of the contract if the radars that were delivered do not meet the agreed objective “to combat drug trafficking and smuggling” .
“As you may recall, President, Juan Carlos Varela, revealed that the radars do not pick up the speedboats used by drug traffickers to transport drugs.
The minister said that another task that the Italian legal firm will undertake will be to study “The technical examination of the radar to see why they have no scope.” The firm will review everything and will give us a number of alternatives, and then, based on that, we will decide,” .
The firm is the same one representing India in its corruption case involving Finmeccanica.
Meanwhile in Italy, Valter Lavítola, a central figure in the corruption scandal, who at one time was in close contact with Panama’s leading political figures, and a link between them and former Italian Prime Minister Beerlusconi, returns to court on Tuesday, September 14. He fled Panama to Argentina while under investigation by Italian Authorities. He finally returned to Italy and turned himself in and is now sitting in jail.