Ruling party hit by bombshell corruption confession
ON THE DAY that Panama’s business organizations planned a massive demonstration against corruption and impunity revelations were published of a former ambassador’s role in transferring $700,000 from Odebrecht to the election campaign of President Juan Carlos Varela.
According to a statement to anti-corruption prosecutors by the former ambassador of Panama in South Korea, Jaime Lasso, from April 2011 to May 2012, $1.4 million was triangulated from Odebrecht through the offshore Poisedón company and $700,000 went to the Panamenista Party.
Money laundering?
It would have violated the electoral law and could lead to charges of money laundering, former Electoral Tribunal judge (TE) Guillermo Márquez Amado told La Prensa.
In recent days, President Varela emphasized that investigations by the Public Prosecutor’s Office “must continue with the support of all Panamanians because the fight against corruption cannot be stopped” reports Panama America.
Lasso, confessed before the Special Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office that André Rabello – former head of Odebrecht in Panama- consigned $700,000 to the Don James Foundation, which went to the Panameñista Party for Varela’s election campaign in 2009.
The ex-judge said that the electoral law prohibits donations from abroad to political parties.
Offshore companies
Lasso also said that he provided advice to Odebrecht on lobby issues, for which he bought two offshore companies: Poseidón and V-Tech.
La Prensa was able to confirm that Poseidón, according to Meinl Bank records, received $1.4 million between April 5, 2011 and May 23, 2012, from accounts of Klienfeld Services Ltd. and Innovation Research Engineering and Development Ltd., both controlled by Odebrecht financial operators.
Jaime Lasso del Castillo was investigated by the Public Ministry (MP) almost two months ago, accused of crimes against the economic order.
He is a doctor who entered politics in 2008 when he joined the Panameñista Party and became ambassador and consul in South Korea during the past administration when there was still was an alliance between Martinelli’s CD Party and the Varela led Panameñistas.
To begin with, he said he received $700,000 – in five contributions – for the 2009 campaign, funds deposited, not in the accounts of the Panameñista Party, but in the foundation “mixing that money with all my assets “.
Then, he made checks that were deposited “in the 2009 political campaigns of Varela completing the triangulation: through the foundation as without leaving a trace of Odebrecht’s money.
Black money
In 2009 the Brazilian Luiz Antonio Mameri – then Vice President of Odebrecht for Latin America and Angola -, confessed that his company had contributed to “$400,000 of black funds” to the campaign of former President Ricardo Martinelli.
The Odebrecht contributions, as always, were not free. Lasso said he met the Odebrecht superintendent in Panama, André Rabello, at the beginning of 2009, at the inauguration of the Panama-Colón highway.
“He [Rabello] expressed his interest in accessing Panameñista Party members.”. The company -said the doctor- sought their political support for its intention to seek contracts.
That’s how candid the statements were. And Lasso did not waste time. Rabello was introduced to a small circle of power: including then vice president, now president Juan Carlos Varela.
