OFF THE CUFF: Odebrecht and cloth ears

CITIZEN’S concerns over Panama’s ongoing relationship with the Odebrecht company have been re-awakened with the jailing of the former CEO and a group of senior executives, and the airwaves are cluttered with commentators condemnation of the government’s laissez faire  approach.

l A summation of the earlier concerns published in La Prensa says that Last July  a group of Panamanian citizens asked the comptroller Federico Humbert to reject the endorsement of contracts for the renovation of the city of Colon and Metro Line 2 and, instead, recommend to the Executive to suspend all contracts with the Panamanian State in which Norberto Odebrecht, SA was involved.

Among those who signed the  letter, were  ex-comptroler  Jose Chen Barria, former Foreign Minister Jorge Ritter and  prominent businessmans Roberto Brenes. The group based their request on the concern that the President and senior executives of Odebrecht were imprisoned in Brazil for the alleged involvement of the company in a corruption scandal involving the state oil company Petrobras. They recommended Humbert explore other alternatives with companies that had already been qualified for these projects, “if they wish to conclude successfully and on time, two major megaprojects of this government.”

“The Government must ensure the implementation of the Colon urban renewal and  and Metro Line 2 projects  with or without Odebrecht, like skilled labor to,” said  the letter.

In August and September Humbert endorsed both contracts.