Martinelli offered thousands to DGI driver for info  on tax probe

State security agents are carrying out investigations into the confessions of a driver of the head of the General Directorate of Revenues (DGI) , Publio De Gracia, who would have been approached by former President Ricardo Martinelli to obtain information about investigations carried out on companies linked to the former president, for alleged tax evasion reports La Prensa.

Rafael Venicio Guerrero, a DGI driver assigned to De Gracia’s office, who -according to his testimony- was contacted by Tomás Martinelli, nephew of the former president and linked to Importadora Ricamar, SA (Irisa), owner of the Super chain 99.

Tomás Martinelli is also a member of the Tribunal de Honor y Disciplinary de Realizando Metas, (RM) the party founded and chaired by his uncle Ricardo.

The information was confirmed by De Gracia in an interview with La Prensa, who was very cautious in his statements,  so as not to compromise the investigation for alleged tax fraud that is carried out against companies linked to the former president. Later, the director expanded on these explanations in a tweet.

De Gracia stressed that he left the issue in the hands of the security agencies, as soon as he found out what had happened with his driver.

De Gracia said he is collaborating with foreign authorities in various investigations into tax fraud, so he decided to give priority to his local investigators on this issue, by informing them of what happened.

The director of the DGI explained that his driver told him about two months ago that he was approached by Tomás Martinelli and taken to an office in Monte Oscuro, which is now believed to be the main headquarters of Super 99, although De Gracia said he is unaware exactly where they took him.

According to the driver’s version, at that meeting, he received an offer of “thousands of dollars” in exchange for information about the proceedings being carried out by his boss. According to him, the former president himself participated in the meeting.

Other sources consulted by La Prensa said that the State security agencies asked the driver a series of questions about the events narrated and that he answered them all. On this subject, De Gracia said he did not know about it, in order not to cloud the investigation into tax fraud.