Anti-smuggling boats boondoggle
FOUR of the six previously used launches donated by Italy as a sweetener to get a $250 million contract for radars and helicopters, are out of service in spite of $3 million spent on repairs.
The radars are not operational as they are unable to detect high speed boats used for drug smuggling.
The launches entered the country in May 2012 as part of a donation for the controversial contracts signed in 2010 between Panama and the Italian conglomerate Finmeccanica for the purchase of 19 radar, 6 helicopters and a cartographic map reports La Prensa.
Deputy Commissioner Oliver Martiz, director of Maintenance for the National Air Service (Senan) said that the acquisition of parts has been the main obstacle that has kept them out of service. The boats were donated for use in combating drug trafficking and rescue.
Boat P-900 has not worked since coming to the country in 2012 and repairs have cost $3 million, according to Martiz.
Senan has a project to convert the boats to American specifications, which would cost another $2 million.
When the boats arrived in the country then president Ricardo Martinelli denied news reports that they were “junk”
The architect of the donation was Valter Lavítola, a fixer between Panamaand Finmeccanica now in jail in Italy and facing further charges of international corruption.
The boats were donated to Panama by the Italian government, led at the time by Silvio Berlusconi, to combat drug trafficking and operate as maritime rescue, vessels
Deputy Commissioner Martiz, said that the main problem is obtaining parts to repair the boats.
In a recent ruling, the Supreme Court temporarily suspended the contract between Finmeccanica subsidiary Selex and the Panamanian government for the acquisition of 19 radars.
According to tests conducted by the Ministry of Public Security the radars cannot detected boats involved in drug trafficking.
Former Minister of Public Security Jose Raul Mulino, who signed the contract in 2010 is in preventive detention..
When the vessels arrived in Panama in 2012 Martinelli and Vice Minister of Public Security, Alejandro Garuz rejected media reports that claimed six boats were donated because they were in bad mechanical condition.
Garuz, who is in detention over the eavesdropping, scandal is also accused along with Mulino of “”rregularities” in the radar contract, which is believed to have a secret $25 million “commission” transferred to an account (Agfea) in Panama, allegedly set up to distribute bribes to government officials.
