PANAMA PAPERS: Ex advisor used his post to expand empire

RAMÓN FONSECA MORA, center of the “Panama Papers” storm and former top advisor to President Juan Carlos Varela could have used his influence in the government to expand his services to create offshore phantom companies.

The suggestion comes from Panama America, which says it could have revealed the information months ago but it was denied by the government but it  has now generated a scandal worldwide, when the  International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), , revealed  a framework for creating  ghost companies from Panama through the law firm Mossack Fonseca.

Varela could have acted before this scandal broke and it was not until days before Fonseca Mora resigned from the government and the Panamenista  Party when he faced investigations.

The research indicated that Mossack Fonseca had Hong Kong  as a main destination a place where  according to previous reports by Panama America, until recently Ramón Fonseca Mora had a remarkable influence.

Fonseca Mora while serving as an advisor to Varela had influence at consulates in Hong Kong and Dubai, United Arab Emirates, the latter where his son Eduardo Fonseca Ward is the consul general.

“ Fonseca Mora was not only a position of importance in the government of Juan Carlos Varela but helped place his brother Alfredo Fonseca Mora in a  key position as head of the Civil Aviation Authority (ACC) “ said Panama America

Fonseca Mora said his resignation in the office of minister counselor and president in charge of the Panamenista  Party.

Was  to defend himself, but his final resignation from the government came a  few days before the “Panama Papers” scandal broke,when  president Juan Carlos Varela, who asked for  explanations.

And it is that not only Fonseca Mora acknowledged that his firm has been dedicated for 40 years to the creation of offshore companies, but accepted that unknown what the fate of these companies that go out of their law firm.

Fonseca Mora’s argument is that companies are sold through an intermediary, either a bank or professional groups who then resell to an end customer.

However, these arguments were refuted by the ICIJ which demonstrated the direct participation of Mossack Fonseca in these shell companies says Panama America.

Close collaborators of  Mossack Fonseca, who earn salaries between 500 and  900 dollars a month appear as executives of million dollar global companies. According to the website of the Spanish television network Univision in the United States, one woman is listed as part of 11,000 corporations.

The former minister counselor appointed officials from his office, to appear as directors to sign the formalities necessary for the operation of the companies.

President Varela speaking e at a public event in the province of Colon, distanced himself from his former ministerial counselor Fonseca Mora reports Panama America.