Sports boss inked to helicopter scandal, resigns

THE SECRETARY GENERAL of the Panamanian Institute of Sports (Pandeportes) has submitted her resignation, days after she was implicated in a helicpoter scandal involving high flying members of ex-president Ricardo Martinelli’s inner circle.

 Mónica Rodriguez de Silva is the sister of José Rodríguez González, the personal pilot of businessmen Gaby Gabriel Btesh and Felipe Pipo Virzi, who are both under investigation.

Btesh left the country months ago and his whereabouts are unknown while Virzi remains under house arrest.
She and other members of her family are under investigation over irregularities in the rental of helicopters by the National Assistance Program (PAN) from companies linked to Btesh. They are accused of massive overcharging and other financial misdemeanors.
An audit by the comptroller has estimated that overcharges in the rental of helicopters cost the government $10.1 million in excess spending. Rodriguez de Silva was linked to three of the four companies being investigated in the scandal. She got her job at Pandeportes days before Martinelli left office in 2014.