Varela stays mum on Odebrecht collaboration
WHILE civil society and prosecutors are seeking to hold perpetrators to account the most important thing in the Odebrecht scandal is getting the money back according to President Juan Carlos Varela.
One day before the validation hearing of three collaboration agreements agreed between the Public Ministry and executives of Odebrecht, Varela avoided comment on the judicial process.
He warned- that is the task of the prosecutors. “If you get into saying things, you are seen as trying to interfere, “said Varela.
He added that what is important for the country is to recover the stolen patrimony “and that the whole truth is known.”
He said that since last December 27, his government has made its position known by announcing that it will not award more state projects to Odebrecht.
Five days earlier, documents were disclosed by the United States Department of Justice, in which Odebrecht confessed to having paid $788 million in bribes in 12 countries; of that amount, at least $59 million was disbursed in Panama, in the Martinelli years 2010 -2014.
