Ex-airport boss facing parking lots probe

While the current Manager  of Tocumen S.A. Carlos Duboy, struggles  to untangle himself from a net involving political donations collected from Odebrecht, Latin America’s  bribery kingpin, and  failing to step aside when conflict of interest issues were raised,, an Anti-Corruption Prosecutor  is developing charges against a  former general manager for crimes linked to the administration of  public parking lots.

The   Public Prosecutor’s Office has confirmed that Juan Carlos Pino is being investigated for alleged irregularities in the contract for the administration and collection of parking lots in favor of the company Republic Parking, after Sky Parking, granted in the government of Ricardo Martinelli (2009-2014).

Prosecutors have also laid charges against  Frank De Lima the former Minister of Finance who is already in preventive detention in El Renacer prison on charges relating to bribes by Odebrecht.

The investigation, conducted by prosecutor Lizzie Bonilla, focuses on an audit report of the Comptroller General that determined a patrimonial injury of $2 million.

Although in principle the operation contract of the parking lots was managed as confidential, it was later learned that Sky Society Parking, S.A. is linked to Gabriel Gaby Btesh and Francisco Pérez Ferreira.

Btesh was a member of the so-called zero circle of Ricardo Martinelli and Ferreira is a lawyer linked to the scandal of free allocation of a Paitilla landfill, now turned into a public space. Btesh is believed to have fled the country.

Pino is also under investigation for possible damage to state assets.