Martinelli Trojan horse in election campaign

THE FAILED campaign of  Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD) presidential candidate Juan Carlos Navarro was linked to  a Martinelli  funded Trojan horse say new revelations.

La  Prensa reports that Javier Martinez Acha, who was treasurer of the Navarro campaign, was linked to the companies Clients Custody Account Properties Ltd. and Queensland Inc.

About $2 million  was deposited Into the bank accounts of these companies on 22 and 23 July 2013,during the campaign.

The transaction was made through Pipo Felipe Virzi, a member of the “zero circle” of former President Martinelli.

The money came from payments of the company Hidalgo & Hidalgo, head of the failed project of the irrigation system of Tonosi, Los Santos.

For PRD stalwart  Mitchell  Doens, the revelations show that Martinelli “was  deeply rooted in the PRD, because  Martinez Acha was a figure who, for economic, financial and business reasons was linked to Martinelli and his circle.”

Francisco  Sanchez Cardenas said that when they denounced the links, “nobody believed us,” reports La Prensa

He said: “The money was used to take over the party and bring it to the electoral debacle in 2014”.

In detailing the movement of funds destined for  the PRD  La Prensa says one went through  the Digital Television Company, SA, the holding company for Next TV, which is chaired by Riccardo Francolini, friend and member of the “zero cycle” of Martinell and like many others in the Trojan horse scenario  under investigation in corruption scandals.

The movement of these funds is being examined by the Third Anticorruption Prosecutor Zuleyka Moore, who is investigating the possible commission of crimes against public administration, derived from the failed project of Tonosí

In this case, Virzi is under house arrest and the former Minister of Agricultural Development Oscar Osorio is in preventive detention. Virzi told Moore he distributed the money following precise instructions Martinelli, many of which were communicated through his partner Ricardo “Ricky” Calvo, who is being sought by Interpol.

Martinez Acha  was the right hand of Juan Carlos Navarro, in the May 4, 2014 elections.

They reached the top of the party in August 2012, defeating so called “dinosaurs”, Fr Sanchez Cardenas and Mitchell Doens.

When Navarro split with the leadership of the party executive to focus on his candidacy, Martinez Acha  was secretary and general manager.

Shortly after the money transfers made by Pipo Virzi,  Martinelli, Navarro and Virzi, met  at the offices of Grupo Los Pueblos, owned by Mayor Alfredo Aleman.

Martinelli was accompanied by his secretary Adolfo “Chichi” De Obarrio currently a fugitive. Navarro was accompanied his campaign manager Avidel Villarreal. Gabriel “Gaby” Btesh,  Virzi’s partner, came later.

Aleman was responsible for giving details of the meeting to the press in an attempt to downplay the issue. According to him, Martinelli and Navarro “have come to lunch here several times…I want to clarify something, the meeting was not private” Aleman said

His remarks were a turning point in the campaign Navarro: fell  in the polls, questioned internally in  his party .His aides denied any link with Martinelli.  But the damage was done. The PRD dissident faction of Sanchez and Doens was  joined  by Balbina Herrera and  gathered momentum says La Prensa.

Navarro came e third in the polls, behind Varela and Jose Domingo Arias, CD.

A month later  Navarro and  Martinez Acha  resigned from their PRD posts.

” Martínez Acha was one of the instruments used by the president and that was what we called the fifth columns and the Trojan horse,” said Doens

“Of course. Navarro was a person who was approached by. Acha and Ronny Mizrachi[ a Martinelli relative who has fled Panama] for the purpose of proposing what they proposed to me, which was to coordinate with Martinelli’s government in exchange for money. Navarro and Martinez Acha  had not the strength to do what I and Sanchez Cardenas,did Doens said.

Martinelli, Francolini and Martínez Acha are partners in a cement factory in in La Chorrera.

“This is proof of what we have been denouncing: the ‘blue wave’ that belonged Martínez Acha entered the competition in the party structure based on the money they were receiving from the Martinelli  zero circle ” Sanchez Cardenas said.

Doens  does not doubt that Navarro was aware of Martinez connection with Martinelli. “He himself (Navarro) had a relationship with the Martinelli zero circle” he said.

Doens, Sanchez Cardenas and Herrera were victims of the illegal interception of communications by  the National Security Council in Martinelli’s government. Herrera has claimed damages of $30 million and Doens, $20 million.

La Prensa attempted to contact Navarro and Martinez Acha but they did not respond to calls.