Raids in black fund bribery scandal move to Switzerland

As President, Ricardo Martinelli, was repeating on  Medcom Radio that he had no connection with corruption investigations of  Italian prosecutors, his name still appeared in the documents of the case that keeps Valter Lavítola jailed.

According to analysis of the prosecutors who conducted the investigations, "there is evidence that [Ricardo] Martinelli has formed partnerships with linked with Lavítola commissions says La Prensa.

"The above statement is part of the documents to which this this journal [La Prensa] has acess and mentioning among other things, revealing phone conversations. In this respect  it cites several conversations between Lavítola and  the then Commercial Director of the Finmeccanica group, Pozzessere Paolo, who had to leave office after the discovery of of a "black fund" to bribe foreign officials .

On Monday, April 23, raids were made ??in Lugano, Switzerland, related to bribes allegedly paid by Agusta Westland, a Finmeccanica subsidiary, in the sale of 12 helicopters to India. As part of the operation Finmeccanica interim accounts were opened in Switzerland. Augusta Westland was one of the three companies of the Finmeccanica group that contracted with Panama, the sale of 19 radars, 6 helicopters and a digital map with Valter Lavítola as chief negotiator.