Presidents brother denies lobbying for Odebrecht
PANMENISTA deputy José Luis Popi Varela said Wednesday, November 15 that he is “immediately available” to the Supreme Court (CSJ), to clarify the “political support” that his party received from the state contractor, Odebrecht.
In a statement, Varela – brother of President Juan Carlos Varela, and president of the ruling Panameñista Party- acknowledged that he knew André Rabello, head of the Odebrecht subsidiary in Panama, through the doctor and ex-Consul of Panama in South Korea Jaime Lasso, but his relationships “never had to do with tenders public, prices, charges or issues of administrative functions of the ministries “.
According to investigations carried out by the Special Anticorruption prosecutor, the Panameñista Party received funds from the bribery department of Odebrecht through Jaime Lasso.
Likewise, it is clear says La Prensa that in the first half of 2009, when Popi Varela was premiering as president of the National Assembly, Lasso promoted a meeting with Rabello.
Varela “made himself available to support [Odebrecht] in the government projects that the company was developing, mainly in the environments where the community leaders were linked to the same party [Panameñista] “, says an analysis prepared by the Directorate of Judicial Investigation (DIJ), which is part of the investigation.
Varela says that all his actions were “within the framework of the law”, and he has never been a lobbyist and supports the investigations carried out by the Public Ministry.
“In Panama, the vast majority of companies have a lobbyist and sometimes they
They ask for an appointment to deputies to explain their projects, their vision in the country and even ask for support with legislators, all this within the framework of the law, “he stresses in a press release.
