Italian gift patrol boat out of service

ONLY one year after the controversial donation of used patrol boats to Panama by the Italian government one is out of service.

The announcement was made by the director of the National Air Service (Senan), Belsio González Sánchez, who said that the boat in question had engine damage because it came into the country without proper repair.

It's 221 patrol missions in Bocas del Toro and the Mosquito Gulf, in Chiriqui, the vessel has sailed only 324 hours and 45 minutes.
It would have sailed more said Sanchez but it was plagued by engine problems
The patrol boats were donated to Panama after signing three contracts with Finmeccanica conglomerate for $250 million. The president of Finmeccanica is facing trial on multiple bribery charges, and Valter Lavitola, the man who engineered the Panama deal is sitting in jail in Italy.
Nationalist Republican Liberal Movement deputy Jorge Alberto Rosas, critical of the contract, said the statement by the director of Senan contradicts the statement at the time of delivery by Security Minister, Jose Raul Mulino, that all came repaired and ready for service.