9 Martinelli officials cited in spy equipment audit

AN AUDIT of the purchase of $13.4 million spying equipment used by the Ricardo Martinelli administration to intercept communications of at least 150 people,  has linked nine senior government officials to “irregularities” in the acquisition.
 The nation’s comptroller has sent the results of the audit to the Second Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office, which is investigating the alleged commission of crimes against public administration after the date of purchase.
Among the names high lighted are Gustavo Perez, former director of the National Police;); Giacomo Tamburrelli, former director of the National Assistance Program (PAN); Demetrio Jimmy Papadimitriu, former Minister of the Presidency; Carlos Orillac, former managing director of the Presidency; Roger Cerrud, former director of Control of the Comptroller; Eloy Alvarez, former Director of the Comptroller’s Legal Department.
According to the auditors, Perez, who received the equipment and cited as proof documents identifiying   “charter members” and letter of  “final acceptance”, both with his signature.
The Comptroller went last month to El Renacer prison where Perez is in jail, to notify him about the audit and he was referred to his defense lawyer Roniel Ortiz.
 Ortiz said on Monday, May 18, La Prensa is “detached from reality” … this kind of information is not evidence for an investigation. The acceptance letter that was found in his office does not have his signature, “he said.
Tamburrelli is named for the lack of implementation of controls in the application process, awarding, receipt, payment and custody of the machine. In his defense, he said between his functions he execute the policies established by the board of the FIS, then headed by Demetrio Papadimitriu who is linked with the process.
But the former minister washed his hands of the problem and told the comptroller that “it was not a specific function of the Ministry of the Presidency delivering progress reports relating to the delivery of the equipment.” He said that he had no involvement in the preparation of purchase specifications reports La Prensa.