Martinelli hits back after property tax scandal

PRESIDENT Martinelli has reacted to the news that he did not update the value of his properties in Altos del Golf through Panama America the newspaper he and his family own.

The attack on his opponents was illustrated with photos taken by a government entity .

On Tuesday December 10, an investigation by La Prensa revealed that the mansion and the clubhouse of the Martinelli family has a recorded value of $290,000 , a figure that has not been updated in more than two decades and the clubhouse even has improvements that have not been accredited says La Prensa.
The Ministry of Economy and Finance ( MEF ) has updated the value of 14, 000 properties in sectors "from middle and upper class " but did not review the properties of the President in the exclusive Altos del Golf. The MEF has not explained why the district was excluded from the process.
" I never knew my house had not been revalued ," Martinelli said that day. Then he went to the customer service office of the National Authority of Land Management ( Anati ) , where he applied for a voluntary " assessment " of his mansion. Nothing was said in relation to the clubhouse.
Before appearing at Anati, he wrote on his Twitter account : "Every day as President I 've spent nobility fighting against the envy of the Opposition and Media ".
The cryptic presidential message made sense the next day, says La Prensa when Panama America published two stories : one titled "La Prensa reported no improvements for $4.5 million " and another , " Danté happened to be worth $19 $19 million not $250,000.
In one of the stories there was a suggestive message : "Read tomorrow, the list of rich and famous houses at negligible prices ."
The next day teh government newspaper[Panama America] headlines a story: "Mansions and estates declare bargain prices " The story mentioned properties of presidential candidate Juan Carlos Varela and Gerardo Solis, the former deputy PRD Pedro Miguel Gonzalez of the Hacienda San Isidro , the Varela family and the Coronado Golf and Development, chaired by Roberto Eisenmann .
That was the " list of rich and famous houses at negligible prices " announced on Tuesday .
The stor was illustrated with two aerial photos : one of the rest house of Solis in San Carlos , and one from the Hacienda San Isidro , in Pesé .
A week ago, three officials of the Anati conducted an overflight beach houses Solis , Varela and the PRD presidential candidate , Juan Carlos Varela. They also went to the Hacienda San Isidro. The group that the pilot carried had taken the photographs
The pilot said the group arrived at Albrook airport led by the deputy director of the Anati, Eric Garcia.
Solis said the flight was paid for with state funds for publication in Panama America.
"That speaks for Martinelli newspaper because Martinelli is double-sided and does not face ," he said .
The president of the National Bar Association Rubén Elías Rodríguez also questioned the President attack on opposition leaders through his media . The message it sends is that exercises power to prosecute or pressure their opponents.
"It is not fair for the government to execute these actions now ," he said .
Thw revaluations ordered by the MEF , was "suspended" from the November 28 but the 14,000 properties that were reviewed must pay the new property tax . The MEF estimated that this process could raise $ 400 million annually . Repeatedly, the president has said he needs to complete government works and programs.
In this task, "we have faced the richest " insists Martinelli, in one of the latest government commercials
The former Minister of Government and PRD leader Olga Golcher said it looks