Joining the corruption dots

SINCE REGISTERING  in 2006 Promotora y Desarrollo de Andes, linked to the Odebrecht bribery scandal,  has  been  close to the “zero circle” of former President Ricardo Martinelli.

Martinelli himself began as its president. Originally, the company had Guillermo Sáez Llorens as secretary; Federico Suárez as undersecretary and Mario Martinelli (brother of the former president) as treasurer, reports La Prensa.

In August 2008, the board  of the society met and decided that Suárez would become  vice-president and Sáez Llorens was replaced by Riccardo Francolini, who at that time  was general manager of Grupo Suárez (a company of Federico Suárez). He  had also worked  in the Global Bank, banking entity linked to Ricardo Martinelli.

Once Martinelli arrived at the presidency, in 2009, Sáez Llorens, Francolini and Suárez happened to occupy strategic positions in the public service.

As you will recall, Sáez Llorens was appointed director of the Social Security Fund;  Francolini was appointed chairman of the board Of the Caja de Ahorros and vice-president of Tocumen, S.A., while Suárez was appointed Minister of Public Works.

On June 1, 2009, one month before assuming the position of minister, Suárez resigned from  Andean Promotora and

Development, but was replaced by his sister Ana Isabel Suárez.

Martinelli resigned the presidency of the company, being replaced by his son Ricardo Alberto Martinelli Linares[now charged  by Swiss authorities with laundering $22 million received from Odebrecht]

In 2011 there were other movements. At present, Evelyn Vargas, resident agent of the Martinellis  in several companies , appears as president, Juan Antonio Fernández is treasurer,; Francolini is secretary and Nitzella Bonilla Pérez as vice president.

 In addition to his alleged involvement in the Odebrecht and Caja de Ahorros scandals. Francolini has been accused of receiving a $500,000 bribe in the Tonosi failed irrigation project. Sáez-Llorens, is under investigation for “irregularities” in a hospital project while he headed the social security system.