Interpol Red Alert for Blue Apple Suspect
AN INTERPOL Red Alert to locate and arrest a former director of contracts at Panama’s Ministry of Public Works (MOP) has been sought by The Seventh Anti-Corruption Prosecutor.
The wanted man is Jorge Churro Ruiz, Director of Contracts Administration of the (MOP) during the management of Federico José Pepe Suárez.
Ruiz, from Spain, is a key figure in the Blue Apple bribery case. On Monday, Jan, 15. Attorney General Kenia Porcell, said that “in the case of the MOP, it was the director of public contracts who asked for bribes “.
On September 30, 2011, MOP Minister Súarez, signed three resolutions authorizing authorized Ruiz and two engineers to represent the MOP, review, approve or reject partial payments for work progress in three megaprojects: the road reordering in Panama City, the widening of the road Domingo Díaz (via Tocumen) and Cinta Costera 3.
The road reordering plan, which included the construction of vehicular steps, interchanges, asphalt and multi-way bagging, was awarded for $1.5 billion.
Conalvías obtained one of the contracts, for $21 million.
The expansion of Domingo Díaz, was by the ICA-Meco consortium, was awarded for $237 million, Cinta Costera 3, executed by Odebrecht, was for $780 million.
