Odebrecht gets comptroller approval for flagship project
A FLAGSHIP project of the government of Juan Carlos Varela to be built by scandal ridden Brazilian company Norberto Odebrecht was endorsed by Panama’s Comptroller General on Monday, August 24.
The $569,062,039.30 contact for the Colon Urban Renewal Project has already been sent to the Ministry of Housing and Land Management.
The project, will be implemented by the consortium Nuevo Colón, composed of Panamanian company Constructora Urbana SA (CUSA) and the company Norberto Odebrecht SA.
The endorsement comes after the corresponding analysis and review by the Comptroller, specifically through the addressing of Economic Consulting, Legal, Enforcement and Engineering, says an official statement.
The work includes, the construction of 5000 housing units in the project Altos de Los Lagos, plus streets, sidewalks and drainage network infrastructure, drinking water, sewage, electricity, lighting and communications; as well as recreational and leisure public areas.
The tender for the project was conducted June 26; The public event was surrounded by controversy and criticism because of the participation of the Brazilian company, which is under international scrutiny after its president, Marcelo Odebrecht, was arrested for allegedly leading a scheme of kickbacks and bribes for billions of dollars of business in Brazil and other countries.
The Panama Freedom Foundation – The Panamanian chapter of Transparency International (TI) – has already submitted requests for information from five government entities on public works contracts for the Odebrecht, the largest State contractor which has received contracts totaling about $9 billion.
Requests for information have been directed to the ministers of Health, Housing and Land, Public Works; the director of Metro Panama, S.A. and general manager of the National Authority of Public Services.
Corruption discovered in Brazil’s Petrobras and involving the construction company Odebrecht is “possibly the biggest scandal that occurred in Latin America in recent years,” says TI.
