PAN SCANDAL: Food mark-up from $196,000 to $44.9 million

FORMER COMPTROLLER Gioconda Torres de Bianchini is under investigation by the Second Anti-corruption Prosecutor for approving a $44.9 million invoice for items that cost $196,000. 

The invoice to the National Assistance Program (PAN), was from a company allegedly chosen on the orders of then President Ricardo Martielli.
 The over expenditure in the sale of dehydrated food for a nutrition program that was funded by the PAN was discovered through a commercial invoice from Lerkshore International Limited that showed it paid its suppliers in Brazil $196,000 for items it then sold to the PAN reports La Prensa.
The order was placed Jan. 16, 2011 by the legal representative of Lerkshore, Rubén De Ycaza , and the then head of nutrition of the PAN, Angel Famiglietti.
The amount disbursed by Lerkshore “shows it paid paltry prices… in comparison to the amount it received,” prosecutors said.
Prosecutor, Vielka Broce is investigating the former Comptroller for saying the services offered by Lerkshore were proper. And approving the contract, She noted that the prices paid by the PAN were inflated based on the local market. For example, Lerkshore was paid $26 for instant soup that was available locally for $5.
The prosecutor has requested that nine people be called to trial in this case. They include De Ycaza, Famiglietti and Torres de Bianchini, as well as former PAN Director Giacomo Tamburrelli, former Presidential Private Secretary Adolfo De Obarrio, former ministers Lucy Molinar (Education) and Federico Suárez (Public Works) and the former deputy ministers Marta Susana de Varela (Social Development) and María Fábrega (Presidency).
The 15th Criminal Court has ordered a preliminary hearing to be held Oct. 21. De Obarrio, who fled to the US last December, will return in October, according to his lawyer. He is alleged to be the messenger carrying instructions from Martinelli to Tamburelli