Possible linkages of President Varela with bribes by Odebrecht

The possible link of the President of the Republic, Juan Carlos Varela, and relatives with Odebrecht case is increasingly becoming more evident.

His opponents, including former allies, handle information which link him to the bribery scandal.

This fact contrasts with information that is managed by the Public Ministry of Panama that neither affirms nor negates what had been published in international media.

In this sense, member of Revolutionary Democratic Party (PRD) Zulay Rodríguez said that there is information from a bank account in the name of Constructora Internacional del Sur, in which officials of the Cabinet of Juan Carlos Varela, allegedly received bribes.

"In account 4010177279, managed by Constructora Internacional del Sur, officials of the Cabinet Council of President Juan Carlos Varela received bribes", revealed Rodriguez.

The legislator added that the account was opened in Credicorp Bank, banking institution in which Raymond M. Harari, one of the Varela´s presidential campaign donors, appears as its legal representative.

Precisely a criminal complaint on alleged charges of influence peddling and money laundering has been filed against Credicorp Bank S.A.

The complaint was filed by lawyer Sidney Sitton, who disclosed the fact that, based on documents based on the confessions of Fernando Migliaccio Da Silva, there was an account of Constructora Internacional del Sur, in Credicorp Bank, that does not appear in the special anti-corruption Prosecutor´s office on the Odebrecht case.

According to Sitton, into that account million-dollar bribes were paid to senior members of the Panameñista party, even some PRD activists.

There is another fact that could link Varela with donations of Odebrecht and that was also exposed by Sitton.

In that lawsuit, Sitton speaks of two accounts that belong to Active Capital International Inc. One was located in Multicredit Bank and another one in Banco Pichincha.

Active Capital International Inc. made two donations of money to the election campaign of Varela. This is evident in the donor list, published in February by its Chief Executive, according to the complainant.

It turns out that any donations were made by that corporation to Varela´s campaign were made through accounts located and investigated by the public prosecutor's Office.

The authorities have not investigated other bank accounts of that company, from which, it is suspected, donations were made to political candidates, Sitton argued in his lawsuit.