More names for Panama bribes roll of shame

THE NAMES of more former Panama cabinet ministers who allegedly received millions of dollars in bribes from the Odebrecht construction company were revealed to Brazilian prosecutors eight months ago and have now been made public in Panama.

The Odebrecht Structured Operations Sector headed by Luiz Eduardo da Rocha Soares was created to channel bribes to government officials in countries where the company was bidding for contracts.

Soares spoke to Brazilian prosecutors in December  2016  about the activities of the bribes unit in Panama via the company’s local director  André Campos Rabello, reports La Prensa.

In addition to “the already well-known senior beneficiaries: ex-President Ricardo Martinelli and his two sons,” Soares fingered  Public Works, Jaime Ford and the Minister of Finance Frank de Lima.

The informant then listed the companies linked to each of them through which the bribe money would have arrived – Westfall Holding, S.A., and Randalee Investments, S.A.

In addition, he mentioned Pachira Limited and Mengil International Limited, which the prosecutor claims are owned by Martinelli’s sons. Ricardo [Alberto] Martinelli [Linares] and Luis [Enrique] Martinelli [Linares].

Soares revealed that between 2010 and 2013 -they received $30 million, deposited in the Private Bank of Andorra, an institution that was intervened in March by the banking authorities of the principality after the United States claimed they were washing assets of Chinese, Russian and Venezuelan criminal organizations.

According to the statements made in Brazil, at least three Panama ministers of state would have received bribes from Odebrecht: Demetrio Jimmy Papadimitriu, who, in December categorically, denied the allegations, Frank de Lima and, Jaime Ford.

Ford is in detention in other cases  but his lawyer  Miguel Batista,  told La Prensa: “We are certain that there is no link between former Minister Ford and the money paid by Odebrecht.”

He added that in order to establish a defense strategy, Ford was questioned to see if he had any local or foreign account in which there would be dirty money and Ford replied that he did not.

Frank de Lima, , personally responded to La Prensa by email, saying he never received a cent.