Martinelli “gang of nine” facing trial in school program scam
NINE FORMER luminaries of the Ricardo Martinelli administration are heading for trial facing charges of corruption, embezzlement and fraud in public procurement,after nine months of investigation.
The charges relate to “irregularities” in the purchase of almost $45 million in dehydrated food by the National Assistance Program (PAN). The food had a real value of $15 million.
Missing from the list is former President Ricardo Martinelli whose legal team is fighting to overturn the lifting of his immunity through a series of maneuvers relating to elections within the CD party which he founded and heads. Martinelli left Panama in January and is in Miami, working on his memoirs.
Judicial sources told La Prensa that on Tuesday, April 28, Second Anti-corruption Prosecutor Vielka Broce signed an application to request that the nine people be called to trial.
They are: former PAN Director Giacomo Tamburrelli; former PAN Director of Nutrition Angel Famiglietti; former Comptroller Gioconda Torres de Bianchini; former Minister of Education Lucy Molinar; former Minister of Public Works Federico Suárez; former Deputy Minister of Social Development Marta Susana de Varela; former Deputy Minister of the Presidency María Fábrega; former Presidential Private Secretary Adolfo De Obarrio and Rubén De Ycaza, the legal representative of Lerkshore International Limited, the company that won the contract.
The inquiry began in July 2014 after an anonymous complaint requested an investigation into project No. 48910, which was a school nutrition program. An audit of the program found that the Ministry of Education, using funds of the PAN program, grossly overpaid for the purchase and distribution of the dehydrated food provided by Lerkshore under a no-bid contract.
The audit stated that the actual value of the food was about $15 million, $30 million more than the contracted amount.Martinelli gang of nine facing trial in school program scam
NINE FORMER luminaries of the Ricardo Martinelli administration are heading for trial facing charges of corruption, embezzlement and fraud in public procurement.
After nine months of investigation.
The charges relate to “irregularities” in the purchase of almost $45 million in dehydrated food by the National Assistance Program (PAN). The food had a real value of $15 million.
Missing from the list is former President Ricardo Martinelli whose legal team is fighting to overturn the lifting of his immunity through a series of maneuvers relating to elections within the CD party which he founded and heads. Martinelli left Panama in January and is in Miami, working on his memoirs.
Judicial sources told La Prensa that on Tuesday, April 28, Second Anti-corruption Prosecutor Vielka Broce signed an application to request that the nine people be called to trial.
They are: former PAN Director Giacomo Tamburrelli; former PAN Director of Nutrition Angel Famiglietti; former Comptroller Gioconda Torres de Bianchini; former Minister of Education Lucy Molinar; former Minister of Public Works Federico Suárez; former Deputy Minister of Social Development Marta Susana de Varela; former Deputy Minister of the Presidency María Fábrega; former Presidential Private Secretary Adolfo De Obarrio and Rubén De Ycaza, the legal representative of Lerkshore International Limited, the company that won the contract.
The inquiry began in July 2014 after an anonymous complaint requested an investigation into project No. 48910, which was a school nutrition program. An audit of the program found that the Ministry of Education, using funds of the PAN program, grossly overpaid for the purchase and distribution of the dehydrated food provided by Lerkshore under a no-bid contract.
The audit stated that the actual value of the food was about $15 million, $30 million more than the contracted amount.
Tamburrelli is charged for being allegedly responsible for the breach of his duties as executive director of the defunct Social Investment Fund (2009-2010) and PAN (2010-2012), when the contract was signed.
He is under house arrest.
A Torres de Bianchini, who is barred from leaving the country-has been linked to endorsing the contract in 2011.
Molinar, banned from leaving the country, was fingered by auditors of the Comptroller, because she allegedly did not meet the necessary supervision in the acquisition of dehydrated foods.
In several schools nationwide students were taken ill after eating food containing glass particles
Famiglietti, meanwhile, allegedly breached his duties as a direct manager and coordinator of all activities of the School Nutrition Program PAN. He was in charge of distributing the food. The former official was taken into custody in December 2014 until the April 17 of this month when the order was changed to house arrest reports La Prensa.
The former Minister Federico Suarez and former deputy ministers and Marta Susana Maria Fabrega – Varela are linked by authorizing the multi-million dollar contract at meeting of the board of PAN October 7, 2010.
Businessman De Ycaza, Lerkshore representative, under house arrest, is accused of allegedly committing the crime of fraud in procurement. $4 million in accounts in Towerbank and Balboa Bank & Trust have been seized.
Chichi Adolfo De Obarrio left the country, December 25, and claims he is being persecuted.
In a statement given in January to the prosecutor, Tamburrelli linked De Obarrio to the dehydrated food contract because, he was the person who executed the orders that came from the Presidency.
Tamburrelli also linked Martinelli. He said the process for awarding the contract was a facade, because the former president ordered him to give the contract to Lerkshore. The Supreme Court is investigating the former president.
