Ex-minister at corruption probe to protect mom

Jimmy Papadimitriu a  former Minister of the presidency during the Ricardo Martinelli regime,   showed up unbidden at the Avesa building on Via Espana on Wednesday, Aug 6, to find out, according to him, why his mother María Bagatelas de Papadimitriu, had been summoned to the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office.

She is one of a long line of prominent citizens, including former cabinet ministers who are being interrogated for alleged links to corruption and bribery following Monday’s announcement about 15 investigations by the Attorney General’s team of prosecutors.

Many are linked to the receipt in Panama of Brazilian court testimonies identifying alleged players in the Odebrecht bribery scandal, involving scores of millions of dollars.

Speaking to the media, a thinned down Papadimitriu said he hoped to “evaluate the file “in which his mother is involved in  some way.

He confirmed that on  Tuesday, two of the family companies were searched During the raid officials took some USBs and “some other things,” he said.

“I am here voluntarily,  as my mother has been mentioned in one of the cases … I am coming to see what it is, since I do not want my mother nor any of my relatives to be harmed,” , said the ex-official, accompanied by his legal team.

Papadimitriu insisted that he was willing to cooperate with the Public Ministry reports La Prensa.

Another minister of the last government who arrived at the prosecutor’s office investigating the payment of bribes  was former Public Works Minister  Jaime Ford who is the focus of several probes.