Garuz washes hands of radar scandal

FORMER National Security Council Executive Secretary Alejandro Garuz  passed the buck  in the Selex invrstigation to  erstwhile colleague former Minister of Security José Raúl Mulino in September.

Garuz, related by marriage to former president Ricardo Martinelli,   has been behind bars for 10 months, facing charges in the Martinelli era wirerapping scandals. If convicted he could be facing a long term prison sentence.

Garuz said that he received instructions from  Mulino” for implementing and coordinating the installation of the 19 radars acquired through a 2010  contract with Selex, a subsidiary of Finmeccanica, for $125 million.

In an interview  on Sept. 21, Garuz Garuz told Prosecutor Zuleyka Moore that   Mulino handed the contract with Selex and that  instructions from Mulino were  delivered  orally.

“I never signed any contract with the last administration,” Garuz said to make it clear that he did not have anything to do with the Seleex agreement

Mulino was detained in the case Monday. The former minister has denied any wrongdoing and is claiming political persecution while facing prosecution for embezzlement in two cases.

The investigation has focused on the fact that the radars don’t work as expected. They are unable to detect speedboats used by drug traffickers.

The purchase was part of a $250 million deal between Panama and Finmeccanica. That deal has been the subject of an ongoing corruption trial in Italy with allegations of a $25 million payoff to high ranking Panama government rulers.

Garuz will face further interrogation on November 6.