CD deputies facing Supreme Court in aid scandal

THE  SUPREME COURT is  investigating two prominent CD deputies in connection with the National Assistance Program (PAN) scandal.

Sergio “Chello” Gálvez and Vidal García  The pair are being investigated separately by the Court. In the case of Garcia,  businesswoman Mara del Carmen Vergara, of Suplidora Edimar, S.A., said that the legislator helped her to obtain contracts from the PAN to sellrice. (Earlier investigations revealed that the rice was sold to the PAN at greatly inflated prices).

Vergara said that the deputy told her that he managed contracts on behalf of other deputies, providing them with kickbacks.

Galvez who has gained notoriety for his distribution of turkeys and hams costing scores of thousands of dollars of government money  to prospective voters in Chorillo is facing charges in connection with contracts granted to the company Constructora Botsa, S.A.

Former PAN Director Rafael Guardia Jaen showed investigators three notes from Galvez requesting that rice be purchased from that supplier.

Deputies must be investigated by the Supreme Court

Judge José Ayú Prado will act as the prosecutor in both cases, which will be governed by the rules of the adversarial criminal justice system.