OFF THE CUFF: Jobs override corruption

Several contractors who were involved in the Blue Apple scandal have rushed to make deals with prosecutors to avoid jail time, and civic bodies railing against impunity are not likely to see them lose current State contracts.

On Friday. Jan. 19 President Juan Carlos Varela told journalists who questioned contracts that investigated companies still have with the State: “My role is to protect works and jobs. I will not leave or abandoned works nor will I affect 40,000 Panamanian construction workers “.

But  he warned that the Executive would take actions if any of the companies do not accept their  responsibility in  the Panama bribery scandal with over $46 million in a fund to pay off government officials and gain government funding foe multi-billion dollar contracts,

“The most important thing here is to congratulate the Public Ministry, which continues to recover patrimony, and also  I understand that there are people accepting their responsibility, which is positive-  accept your responsibility instead of blaming someone for the “mistakes” that were made, he said.