Varela avoids Odebrecht bullet

AS  EXPOSURE of  links  in the  Odebrecht corruption scandal get closer to Panama, President Juan Carlos Varela, is avoiding comment on the judicial scenario in Brazil although under his watch  the company has been awarded  $2 billion  in contracts  for Metro Line 2  and a Colon urban renewal project .

On Wednesday, March 23, at the  announcement of the inauguration date of the new Panama Canal locks he sidestepped questions taking  some of the shine off the event.

“Today everything is for the Canal administrator [Jorge Luis Quijano] and , the June 26 date  Tomorrow [Thursday] ask me whatever you want, ” the president said at the inauguration of the Ship Maneuver Training Center of  the Panama Canal Authority.

Minister of Canal Affairs and Secretary General of Metro Roberto Roy, who was at the Metro helm when Odebrecht received the contract for Line 1  said: “We did it totally correct and legal in our bidding process, so we’ll see what comes of all this. I do agree with investigations being done. “

On Tuesday March 22, Minister of the Presidency Alvaro Aleman said: . “I reiterate that we can defend the two awardsthat  have been made to the company Odebrecht […] I reiterate  that Brazilian justice has made a request for judicial assistance to the Public Ministry], and I understand it is that the entity is attending to it  and will respond promptly (…) I also learned that the Panamanian justice has requested legal assistance from Brazil, “he said.

According to the minister, scandals do not affect the company “nothing” works of this administration. “We are respectful of Brazilian justice,” he added.

Odebrecht is the main contractor of the Panamanian government, with public works totaling over $9 billion. Panama figures as an important part in the plot orchestrated by the construction giant, to  supposedly hide and launder millions of dollars, reports La Prensa.