Martinelli took baton and ran in Italy radar deal

THE LATEST broadside aimed at Former President  Ricardo Martinelli comes from once close confidant Demetrio “Jimmy” Papadimitriu.

The former  Minister of the Presidency has given statements to prosecutors that directly implicate Martinelli in the purchase of radars from Selex, a subsidiary of the Italian consortium Finmeccanica. reports La Prensa

He said there was originally no plan to purchase the radars, but it was done due to pressure from Italy which demanded the deal be finalized in exchange for the donation of patrol boats made by that government as part of another contract to purchase helicopters from Finmeccanica.

“This was a project of (former Italian) President Silvio Berlusconi, who was going to donate the patrol boats,” Papadimitriu said. “We were going to buy a few helicopters, but the … Minister of Finance in Italy was pressing Berlusconi to increase the size of the contract because they were donating the six patrol boats.”

Papadimitriu, according to an affidavit, also said that several ministers had objected to the purchase of the radars, but were pressured to support the deal by Martinelli.

“The decision was made by the president himself,” the former minister said. “He took the baton and ran with it.”

Irregularities in the contract to purchase the radars is the subject of an ongoing criminal investigation. Former ministers of Public Security Jose Raul Mulino and Alejandro Garuz have already been charged in the case.