Storm over Odebrecht crooks and Panama contracts

PANAMA’S Transparency and Access to Information Authority,( has joined the growing storm of demands for investigation of the contracts between Panama and Brazilian construction giant Norberto Odebrecht imbroiled in worldwide corruption scandals.

Antai’s, Director Angelica Maytín spoke on Friday, August 14 of the “unpleasantness” of “a company whose president and senior executives  have been arrested and investigated for alleged acts of corruption and are now partners with the government in this critical work.”
Maytín was referring to Odebrecht winning the contract with the present government to build Metro Line 2, reports La Prensa.
She appealed for the assignment of more resources assigned to the Public MInistry (MP) to deal with the avalanche of allegations of Odebrecht corruption, nationally and now transnationally.
“Our legislation on public procurement should have been more robust, but the previous administration was devoted to weakening the law.”
Maytin recalled that the Antai proposed as amendments to the public procurement law that would “disqualify ” companies under investigation for corruption.
Roberto Brenes CEO of the Panama Stock Exchange, referring to the scandals said: “It is becoming increasingly clear that we are dealing with crooks. It is very easy to say that the guy did not steal here, but stole the entire world. So, what are we? “… “If I were the Panamanian judicial system, I would have sent someone to study everything in Brazil.”
The MP has not responded to calls for judicial assistance. in March Brazil asked to investigate alleged suspicious activities of Odebrecht in the isthmus.
Ramon Ricardo Arias, president of the Foundation for the Development of Civic Freedom, presented new evidence to Sixth Anti-Corruption Prosecutor Aurelio Vasquez about the investigation that was opened Friday following a complaint he filed on behalf of the Foundation, on March 18, in relation to the publication of a Brazilian newspaper which revealed that the Anti-Mafia Prosecutor of Italy had started investigations against Odebrecht for alleged corruption in the contract for Metro, Line 1, awarded by the last government.
Arias presented to the prosecutor the August 13 edition of La Prensa, “in which are published serious and grave accusations against the company Norberto Odebrecht and some of its directors, and presumably committed in the Republic of Panama” .
La Prensa reported that, according to Brazilian prosecutors, Odebrecht used Panama to launder $47 million in bribes deposited in an account of Credicorp Bank, for the company Constructora Internacional del Sur, incorporated in Panama.
Odebrecht Panama. said on Facebook: “there is no relationship between our activities in Panama and research taking place in Brazil on the issue of Petrobras”. “Projects in Panama are developed with full autonomy and operational independence.”