A tourism czar without a U.S, Visa … call for Shamah resignation

The U.S. government  has withdrawn the visa of the Minister of Tourism, Solomon Shamah says La Prensa , quoting officials who asked that their names not be disclosed.

This, said the officials would have been the reason why Shamah could not travel to the U.S. with the delegation accompanying the president, Ricardo Martinelli to meet with his encounter with Barack Obama.

Shamah  a close confident of President Marinelli, who has accompanied him to Europe and Israel, and was one of the  prime movers in the Martinelli election campaign.

The issue comes at a time of the revelation of  confidential cables from  former U.S. ambassador in Panama, Barbara Stephenson, linking Shamah to drug traffickers.

La Prensa said it had  tried to on Friday, May 6 to contact  Shamah for an explanation but he did not return calls but the  newspaper learned that Shamah was in contact with Martinelli and Henry Ho, manager of the government’s newly created garbage authority who has been named for funneling money from associates of convicted felon David Murcia Guzman to the Martinelli  election campaign.

An  email sent to President Martinelli, at 9:43 am, asking for comments  on the statements of Stephenson got a reply  7 minutes later: "Please guide your questions to the Chancellor" and copied the email  to Vice President  and  Foreign Juan Carlos Varela.

The Foreign Ministry, meanwhile, dodged answering. The reply said:: "On several occasions he has said he will not issue comments on Wikileaks cables, which are r internal communications of U.S. diplomacy."

Wikileaks cables delivered to La Prensa say Stephenson, citing the DEA, said  Albert, brother of Shamah,  piloted a plane with  Martinelli and Murcia on board with. All records of the flight have diasappeared.

Late Friday, former vice president and former Foreign Minister Samuel Lewis Navarro sent a message to  President Martinelli demanding the immediate resignation of  Shamah.

"There is a widespread cover-up to these allegations of corruption, and that happens when a justice is not independent and politicized," said Lewis