No sale of Noriega mansions after park alternative gets Martinelli nod

Panama’s Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) has dropped its plans to sell two Panama mansions once inhabited by  former dictator Manuel Antonio Noriega.

The buildings are in the upscale  Altos del Golf area of San Francisco.

The MEF has been trying to auction them since June,  but after two attempts for each the process was abandoned for lack of bidders.

The Division of Development and Sale of State Property of the MEF planned one more try, but there was a change of plans when  President, Ricardo Martinelli, said he wanted to see the the  properties, valued at $3.6 million, replaced by a park.
“I have no more information than this, "said Dulcidio De la Guardia, Deputy Minister of Finance. There is no word whether the park would be recreational or with a sports theme, how much it would cost, and when it would be opened, says La Prensa.
The larger home is on a ??3,245 square meter plot with an estimated value of $2.5 million. It was the residence of Noriega and his family.
The other smaller house, on a 1,367 square meter plot was occupied by one of his daughters. It is valued at  $1.1 million
The auctions did not bring in bidders  who may have been scared away by the threats of Julio Berrios, Noriega's attorney, that he would proceed against those who acquired the former homes of his client. He claims that the homes were not bought from the proceeds of crime, but from a Social Security loan.
The two residences in San Francisco are part of a real estate portfolio of 14 properties spread over Panama, Cocle and Chiriquithat were confiscated from the family Noriega after the 1989 U.S. invasion that ended 21 years of military dictatorship. Most of the properties have been vandalized.
Noriega is still in jail in Paris but  on  July 29 the French government signed an extradition decree and  the Foreign Ministry estimates that he could reach Panama in early September.
Awaiting him are seven prison sentences, three of them for murder, totaling over 67. He also faces trial for the disappearance and death of community leader Heliodoro Portugal, 40 years ago.
The family of Hugo Spadafora, killed and beheaded under Noriega’s watch, is standing by ready to oppose any move to place the former strongman, 76, under house arrest. They cite examples from the International court in the Hague, where human rights violators, of more advanced years have been sent to end their days in prison.
Panama  is also waiting to receive one million euros ($1.4 million dollars), compensation for moral prejudice,  which the French courts added to Noriega’s 7 year prison sentence for laundering drug money.

Noriega had at least three luxury apartments in Paris, all with a privileged view of the Eiffel Tower, which were confiscated.

A French government spokesman said that the  proceeds from the sale of the  property were deposited in a bank, and "probably" that money will be used to compensate Panama.