Company providing no bid helicopters to Panama in corruption scandal

A growing tendency to  to issue no bid contracts has come under public scrutiny again with the news that an Italian company providing helicopters to Panama is being investigated for alleged corruption.

The company Finmeccanica, that received a no-bid, $250 million contract from Panama to provide helicopters and other security equipment was linked to an alleged case of corruption and money laundering in Italy earlier this year.

Finmeccanica is being investigated for alleged corruption in relation to military contracts, according to Italian newspapers.
Former Italian Senator Nicola Di Girolamo has been linked to the case, as well as one of the direct advisers of the president of Finmeccanica, Pier Francesco Guarguaglini.
The company has proclaimed its innocence in but the scandal has sent the value of its shares tumbling.
In Panama, Security Minister José Raúl Mulino defended the company, saying there was no wrong-doing in awarding the contract to it according to La Prensa.
The government avoided the bidding process saying that the purchase needed to be kept confidential for security reasons.
 However, the company released all of the details of Panama's purchases, including radar systems and several aircraft, on its web site.