OFF THE CUFF:Panama’s Flying Dutchman, paper chase.

The private plane of former Panama president Ricardo Martinelli remains at an airport in Bologna, capital of the Italiqn Emilia Romagna region, but the whereabouts of its passengers are unknown.

The plane which, since leaving Panama, has visited  Guatemala, Florida Newfoundland, Ireland and Italy like some modern day version of the Flying Dutchman, It arrived in Bologna from Shannon Airport in Ireland, but may have been carrying only its pilots who are currently awaiting take-of instructions while some technical problems are being fixed and no  passengers are scheduled for its next flight
The pilots “unceremoniously” refused to speak with a local reporter reports La Prensa, and Martinelli,, who is as close as you can get to being a Twitter-addict, and always ready to grab the nearest microphone or pose for the cameras, has limited his comments to a Latin-AmericanTV interview where he pursued the “political persecution line being pushed by his spin-meister and former presidential communications hack, Luis Eduardo Camacho.
  Ricardo Martinelli left Panama last week when the Supreme Court approved the start of an n investigation against him for alleged crimes against public administration.
The former president has also been implicated by prosecutors in Naples in the Meccanica corruption scandal involving Valter Lavítola.
Court records seen by La Prensa, indicated that Martinelli was “the hidden economic beneficiary and final recipient” of bribes to be paid by Finmeccanica to Agafea Corp., SA, the company created by Lavítola .
Democratic Change party official have dodged requests identify the whereabouts of their party leader Martinelli, indicating that his private jet could be traced via internet.