Technology contracts: awarded directly

Technology and computing systems was another important item in direct and fractionated purchases ordered the Manager of Tocumen S.A., Joseph Fidanque III, who would have chosen the awarded companies at his discretion.

Only in 2015, over 68 contracts and direct purchases in technology equipment and services were reported for more than 1.2 million dollars, among which the payment of 130 thousand 968 dollars to Robotec Panama S.A. stands out for the maintenance of 5 Itemiser machines for a period of 9 months up to a maximum of 80 hours per month which does not include supplies or parts.

However, the Itemiser machine above mentioned read its maintenance and calibration procedure in its manual. Even the U.S., DSA Detection company reveals that this type of machines can be calibrated by anyone following simple procedures in a time that should not exceed five minutes.

Other direct contract that piles up in the long list of direct purchases made by Fidanque is the one awarded in June 2015 to ADR S.A., whose representative is Adolfo Noriega Valdés. This company,
Tocumen S.A. paid $ 179 for the supply and installation of a recording voice announcements in the airport, including its configuration and cabling.

Electro Systems de Panama and Sonitel S.A. are two most favored companies with direct contacts which Fidanque has awarded. Among them are 10 contracts for Electro Systems de Panama for 329
thousand 646 dollars only in 2015. Meanwhile, Sonitel was awarded other 8 contracts for 65 thousand 145 dollars only in 2015.

Tocumen S.A. has simply pointed out that the main objective of the current administration is to carry out a transparent management, in compliance with the procedures established by the law
ruling public procurement.

"In reference to certain services, which because of their quality we must give immediate answers not to affect operations at the air terminal, exceptional procedures allowed by the law must be applied and duly substantiated", communicated this administration through a written response to Epasa.

In 2015, Tocumen S.A. also hired company Liberty Technologies Corp. three times for $ 88 thousand 992 dollars for the provision of Wi-Fi internet services in certain zones of the Tocumen Airport terminal. In accordance with the public registry, this society has David Mizrachi Fidanque as a subscriber, who is also a direct relative of Joseph Fidanque.

One of the awarded contracts was for 23 thousand 328 dollars for the Wi-Fi services for six months (from 1 April to 30 September 2015) in the premises of Tocumen S.A., as well as in the
management building, the cargo terminal, North piers and the domestic terminal, as revealed by official documents obtained by Epasa.

Intelisis S.A. is another favorite companies in the direct purchase actions that Fidanque has carried out.

This company received four direct contracts from Tocumen S.A. for a motorbike costing 164 thousand 528 dollars, two of them in March 2015, and the other two in June of the same year.

Epasa found the detail of one of these four contracts with Intelisis S.A., which is dated 17 June 2015 for the purchase of 10 ERP licenses for the Colon, David, and Rio Hato and Panama Pacific airports.

Intelisis S.A. runs operations on the second floor of Fidanque Plaza on Via Porras, making it a direct client of the companies of Tocumen S.A.´s general manager.

The acquaintance one

The company Tecnología Aplicada (Tecnasa) also appears among the technology companies that have been favored with direct contracts in Tocumen S.A. Tecnasa received 6 direct contracts in 2015 for 56 thousand dollars.

In this company, John David Morgan and Vice President Jorge Morgan appear as subscribers. But it would not be the first time that the name of businessman and lawyer Morgan appears as beneficiary of discretionary contracts approved by Joseph Fidanque, once he started his position as general manager of Tocumen S.A.

Juan David Morgan also appears as one of company Servicios Tecnológicos de Incineración (STI)´s owners, this being the company receiving the first direct contract that Fidanque executed as soon
as he took office for the service of collection and incineration of international garbage in the air terminal.

Since then, Tocumen S.A. has been paying 80 thousand dollars a month to STI through direct contracts renewed every three months.

"I called someone I knew who knew about that (operation)”. "I told them let´s be patriotic, I need for you to charge me a fair price", said Fidanque in August 2014, when the STI contract existence
became known.

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Antai has ruled on similar cases of direct purchases

 

Previously, Angélica Maytín, Director of the National Authority on Transparency and Access to Information (Antai), announced findings of an audit conducted in PAN, after which it was recommended to the Minister of Housing and Land Planning, Mario Etchelecu, to suspend all purchases through that institution.

This is, by direct agreement contracts for the purchase of heavy equipment with which a company whose owners would be close friends to the Government turned out to be favored.

However, in the case of direct purchases from the Tocumen Airport, the Tsarina still has not made any pronunciations, despite the fact that this newspaper has sent a questionnaire that requests an
opinion on the subject and asking whether or not this matter would be investigated.

In the case of Miviot, the Antai reminded the Comptroller-General of the existence of a report which was submitted to him last year for him for its status to be known, and also made
recommendations to the Ministry of the Presidency on the subject.