Finmeccanica lie case failed after agreement

Actualizado 2016/02/25 13:17:11

Antonio Pérez M. (aperez@epasa.com)
/
@AntonioSaul27

The agreement reached between the government of Juan Carlos Varela and the Italian conglomerate Finmeccanica leaves a number of uncertainties and contradictions in the speech have been saying for 18 months the ombudsmen of the Executive Body

Finmeccanica lie case failed after agreement

Fernando Berguido, Panama's ambassador to Italy, has been a strong critic of the Italian conglomerate Finmeccanica, whom he accused of paying bribes, selling computers and inoperative overruns and also compared them with the Colombian narco-guerrillas of the FARC.

But now he changed his speech, being the architect of the covenant which the Panamanian state proceeds to negotiate the terms initially agreed. The Italian company will keep the 168.5 million dollars. Panama will have to keep operating on its shores seven radars already installed which were strongly criticized by the current government.

Finmeccanica will continue to recruit in Panama

In addition, the Panamanian government is committed to continue doing business with the company Finmeccanica, to which both questioned.

This confirms a statement released the Italian conglomerate, which states that the agreed covenant "the door to new contracts with a country that is considered strategic opening".

Berguido recognizes two fundamental elements: no insistent Government's argument that a bribe for the purchase of radars was paid and acknowledged that the state would gain international litigation with Finmeccanica was found.

Rodolfo Aguilera, security minister, was one of the critics of Finmeccanica.

In the middle of last year he expressed an inflexible position, which said it would not be changed: Panama demanded payment of all monies paid to Finmeccanica and the withdrawal of all the equipment and install.

Now, the reality is completely different. His speech has changed, as a member of the cabinet to support the settlement reached with Finmeccanica.

Ebrahim Asvat, abogado y exdirector de la Policía Nacional, califica el acuerdo como "un acto distante a cualquier sentido de la dignidad".

He argues that after 18 months when high officials of the Government demonized Finmeccanica, now goes to sign a pact "with all the pomp of an act of state."

"The radars supposedly useless, turn out to be recognized not as a quality problem, but inadequate for the country's security strategy, helicopters are used and paid, and cartographic map to be received, it has a value, when the State is obliged to pay the outstanding balance, "says Ashvath in his article Blog, to highlight the contradictions of government.

The contract is legitimate, recognized Berguido, and no evidence of payment of kickbacks.

Ashvath analysis comes after statements Berguido ambassador, who said it had to negotiate with Finmeccanica because the contract was fulfilled as it was agreed that, for this reason, Panama lost in international arbitration.

Another controversial element Berguido recognized was that, after 18 months of questioning to the company, have not found evidence that payments were commissions or bribes.

This, according to the lawyer Ernesto Cedeno, Jose Raul Mulino favors and Alejandro Garuz, former officials of the previous government, which spent months detained for alleged corruption, related to this contract.

The same happened with the elusive television , whom he described as being a means of communication not serious and would not fall into their trap.3

This contradicts what Berguido announced yesterday that, as a journalist, would address all the questions of journalists, recognizing that this is a complex issue.

According Berguido agreed that the problem of the contract with Finmeccanica originated from negotiation, to conclude a contract almost blind.

However, he evaded responding to the end of panameñismo who negotiated this agreement.

official notes show that the then foreign minister and now president Juan Carlos Varela attended in person this issue, since the first contacts with the company in Italy.

"You asked for that system," Berguido said, paraphrasing part of his discussions with the directors of the Italian Finmeccanica.

Since the beginning of the criminal process followed in Panama, the former Minister of Security Jose Raul Mulino, and defense, they have argued that the negotiators of this agreement is the current president Varela.

They say Varela led the negotiations with Finmeccanica to buy radar, digital map and Augusta helicopters.

And in this negotiation he was accompanied by his deputy foreign minister, the current panameñista deputy and former Minister of Commerce Meliton Arrocha.

The panameñista former Minister, Alberto Vallarino, does not escape the accusations in the case.

At the time, Jose Raul Mulino mentioned for who established the method of payment for turnkey, acting Minister of Economy and Finance.

While the authorization to sign the contract was endorsed by the Cabinet, at the time, comprised of four ministers Panamanian Party.

The signing of the contract between the state and Finmeccanica occurred in the middle of 2010, it was still in force when the government alliance between Democratic Change and Panameñista.

Will the savings?

Fernando Berguido now talking about a savings of $ 100 million with the signing of this agreement, but very little is known in detail.

This was corroborated commentator Juan Carlos Tapia in his Twitter account, saying that "we must publish the agreement with Finmeccanica, as the town was confused and must demonstrate savings of $ 100 million."

On the website of the Presidency of the Republic an executive summary of the agreement, which states that the savings is that Panama be released from payment of EUR 38 million consisting of the amount needed to pay was issued by Finmeccanica all contracts.

In addition, it ensures that they will receive a credit of 29 million euros and an ambulance helicopter to humanitarian aid, which is worth 8.1 million euros and is granted free of charge by the Italian company

However, there are doubts, mainly because the document has not yet been publicly presented.

Ramses Barrera, lawyer Jose Raul Mulino said he expects the document to be provided to the defense of the former minister, because the criminal proceedings are still in Panama are mentioned.

Although officially not know the content of the agreement, which has said the government is that it is beneficial because that will confirm that there was fraud in the performance that made his client, as a minister of state who signed the contract approved by the Cabinet of the time.

The reason is because the government is committed to convene Finmeccanica company specialists to conduct the expert examination of the radars.

The arrest of Mulino and he Garuz without there being a specialist in radar expert to certify that such equipment were damaged.

It is also confirmed that the radar function, accepting the Government and installed the seven teams remain doing guard duty on the shores of the country under the operation of the National Air Service (Senan).