PRD-Martinelli link said a distortion

THE MAN in the eye of the Trojan horse storm claiming that Ricardo Martinelli had infiltrated the PRD during the last election campaign, has taken the Martinelli tack, saying that he is the victim of a smear campaign.

Javier Martínez Acha said in a statement released Sunday, Oct. 25, that statements  linking  him to funds distributed by CD insider Felipe “Pipo” Virzi were a distortion

“The statements are without order or coherence,” he said. “This is a distorted story that has nothing to do with reality.”

Acha was the treasurer for the campaign of PRD president candidate Juan Carlos Navarro in the last election. Prosecutors investigating corruption charges have alleged that $2 million in payments were made from Virzi to two shell companies linked to Acha.

Virzi is a member of the inner circle of former President Ricardo Martinelli.

Acha said he was not involved in any wrongdoing.

“I have no involvement in acts at the expense of the ideals of my party PRD, or my personal, moral and political convictions,” he said. “My loyalty to the PRD is unquestionable.”

The situation has raised concerns that Martinelli has infiltrated the PRD, allegations of which were raised during the campaign.

Virzi had admitted to receiving $10 million in bribes from the contractor Hidalgo & Hidalgo, a company that received a contract to build an irrigation project in Los Santos during the administration of Martinelli. The contractor received an estimated $37 million although no work was done on the project.

Virzì said he distributed money based on instructions from Martinelli that were delivered by another close associate of the former president, Ricardo Calvo.

Both Martinelli and Calvo are believed to have fled the country.