Blue Apple expert witness unshaken by defense lawyers

The expert witness Eliseo Ábrego Peña, who works in the Judicial Investigation Directorate (DIJ) of the National Police in the Organized Crime department, was the only testimony presented on the fourth day of the  Blue Apple trial. Two defense lawyers questioned him to try to prove that the information was incomplete and that the defendants were innocent.

In the report presented by Ábrego, it is verified that part of the money deposited and credited in the Blue Apple bank accounts was transferred to natural and legal persons, especially to a company in which former Minister José Federico Suárez has a stake as a shareholder and member of the board of directors

 During the investigation, Ábrego established that among the authorized signatures and real beneficiaries of this account at the time of its opening in 2008 was that of Suárez. Ábrego assured that Federico Barrios, creator of the Blue Apple company and who reached a penalty agreement, explained to the prosecution that Melina Cano Achurra participated as a mediator or administrator of some investments that were made through a company that was interested in the acquisition of some equipment during the government administration of Ricardo Martinelli (2009-2014).

The funds, as detailed in the hearing, were for the purchase of equipment that would be installed in the hydroelectric project known as “El Síndigo”, which was being developed in Chiruqui. Five defense attorneys have signed up to question Ábrego when the hearing resumes on Monday.

KICKBACKS
The court order detailed how former minister Suárez, according to the investigation, received various payments of $300,000, $180,000 and deposits of more than $2 million through a partnership made by companies that had worked with the government.The investigation began on October 30, 2017, through a police intelligence report, which refers to the Blue Apple Services limited company, created by several people (members of the government administration from 2009-2014) for the purpose of of “disguising or laundering money”, allegedly obtained from kickbacks or bribes received for the concession of various construction projects.

The Public Ministry managed to recover $32 million, of the $82 million that it determined had entered the account of the Blue Apple company.