Odebrecht facing decision conflicts in Colon

A $500 MILLION dollar contract for an urban renewal project in Colon is still in theory up for grabs, and until this week heavily weighted in favor of a consortium including Odebrech, a construction company that has earned billions from successive Panama governments.
Buy as the process enters its final stretch it is wrapped in controversy.
On Friday,, June 24 the Ministry of Housing and Land Management (Miviot) is announce the name of the company that will do the work, chosen from three consortia competing in a public act: Aspinwall, CCA-MCM and Nuevo Colón .
The consortium Nuevo Colón is comprised of companies Cusa and Odebrecht, the latter under international scrutiny after its president, Marcelo Odebrecht, he was arrested last Friday on charges of leading a scheme of kickbacks and bribes in Brazil and other countries, with money being funneled through Panama.
The world wide focus on the Brazilian giant and its alleged activities has alerted many groups in Panama and the shoe-in for Odebrecht may be at an end. And the glass slipper may not fit the ugly sister.
The president of Transparency International, Panama Chapter, Ramon Ricardo Arias, said the government should evaluate and suspend contracts and works with Norberto Odebrecht.
“Here in our country, there have been many contracts for Odebrecht and there has never been serious audit of these contracts with premiums. It is important that the government begin to audit, “he said.
“ We’re dealing with capital laundering and embezzlement and have to be careful not to continue sponsoring such actions and behaviors,” he said.
In the specification, which lies in the Panamacompras portal there is the letter of intent for the the consortium Nuevo Colón.
It says in one of its clauses that each of the parties (Odebrecht and Cusa) assign a representative with extensive powers for as long as required to meet both the work program and the technical and professional tasks.
In one of the last points of the letter points out that the leader of the consortium will be Odebrecht.
Panameñista Antonio Dominguez believes that Odebrecht should not participate in the tende and the projecy should be handlec by a Panamanian company.
“Despite what they say, this contract has a name and is called Odebrecht. It would show negligence on the part of current staff if the tender is to this company, “said the deputy.
The former director of the Panamanian Society of Engineers and Architects (SPIA) cagreed with José Batista Dominguez :” I don’t know why this project must be done by an international company and not a national one” he said.
Both agreed that they had to take several packages for greater participation by domestic companies, because in a single project of $500 million is difficult for small firms to get involved.
Miviot data says that the renewal of Colon involves the construction of 5000 homes in the community of Alto de los Lagos, the work of the storm system, the health system, arrangement of parks, drinking water adjustments and reconstruction of buildings They are Heritage.
For former Panama president Ernesto Perez Balladares first thing to do is audit of the works already done, and then take a decision to allow or not that company to participate in tenders.