President  demands respect from corruption-shrouded Spanish company

Panama  President of Laurentino Cortizo has demanded respect from FCC the corruption shrouded  Spanish company that has been building the City of Health since 2012, with a scheduled four-years delivery date to  the Social Security Fund (CSS).

  On a tour of the Capira district, Cortizo told journalists that it is important to speak to FCC “head-on” to insist that “there is a process that must be followed; But at this time of the COVID-19 pandemic, the country is in need of the paralyzed  City of Health, He described as “inconceivable” and “a mockery” to Panamanians that the FCC company is talking about millionaire debts by the Government of Panama when it is public knowledge that the company was involved in “irregularities” in previous administrations.

The company the payment of $65 million from the CSS for “extended stay” during the period from June 15, 2015, to December 2019, in the construction of the hospital project.

The megaproject was tendered during the government of Ricardo Martinelli (2009-2014) and its delivery date was July 2015.

When the administration of Juan Carlos Varela (2014-2019) was installed, 36 irregularities were detected in the work, which the firm had to correct:”The figures that FCC produces  are incorrect,” said Cortizo, who added that a due process  is taking place in other countries and Panama obviously has to follow-up, for which he emphasized that it is inconceivable to say  that Panama owes FCC

.The  Spanish Special Prosecutor’s Office against Corruption and Organized Crime recently asked Panamanian authorities to collect information on transfers made from bank accounts to former Panamanian officials for the period 2009-2014.