Moderators Moderator_02 Posted December 15, 2017 Moderators Share Posted December 15, 2017 Quote Ex-airport boss facing parking lots probe Posted on December 14, 2017 in Panama Juan Carlos Pino Post Views: 132 While the current Manager of Tocumen S.A. Carlos Duboy, struggles to untangle himself from a net involving political donations collected from Odebrecht, Latin America’s bribery kingpin, and failing to step aside when conflict of interest issues were raised,, an Anti-Corruption Prosecutor is developing charges against a former general manager for crimes linked to the administration of public parking lots. The Public Prosecutor’s Office has confirmed that Juan Carlos Pino is being investigated for alleged irregularities in the contract for the administration and collection of parking lots in favor of the company Republic Parking, after Sky Parking, granted in the government of Ricardo Martinelli (2009-2014). Prosecutors have also laid charges against Frank De Lima the former Minister of Finance who is already in preventive detention in El Renacer prison on charges relating to bribes by Odebrecht. The investigation, conducted by prosecutor Lizzie Bonilla, focuses on an audit report of the Comptroller General that determined a patrimonial injury of $2 million. Although in principle the operation contract of the parking lots was managed as confidential, it was later learned that Sky Society Parking, S.A. is linked to Gabriel Gaby Btesh and Francisco Pérez Ferreira. Btesh was a member of the so-called zero circle of Ricardo Martinelli and Ferreira is a lawyer linked to the scandal of free allocation of a Paitilla landfill, now turned into a public space. Btesh is believed to have fled the country. Pino is also under investigation for possible damage to state assets. http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/ex-airport-boss-facing-parking-lots-probe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted December 31, 2017 Author Moderators Share Posted December 31, 2017 Quote Probe of airport parking scam to continue Posted on December 30, 2017 in Panama Juan Carlos Pino, still on the hook Post Views: 252 THE SEVENTH Criminal Court has rejected a move by lawyers of the former head of Tocumen International Airport. Juan Carlos Pino, to block an investigation by anti-corruption prosecutor Lizzie Bonilla.of possible irregularities in the contract granted to the Sky Parking Company, S.A., for the administration of the parking lots in the air terminal. A forensic audit by the Comptroller General revealed that between 2007 and 2010, the time at which the airport managed the parking lots it, received an average of $1.3 million per year. and during the time Sky Parking, S.A., had the concession, the terminal received on average $ 312,000 creating a possible injury to the state of $1.9 million. The auditors blame Pino, as well as the former minister of Economy and Finance Frank De Lima, who was president of the board of directors of Tocumen, S.A. http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/probe-airport-parking-scam-continue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Doug Posted December 31, 2017 Share Posted December 31, 2017 Stealing from the government by elected or appointed officials seems to be both blatant and commonplace. And even if convicted, judges don't seem to impose any meaningful penalties. Expats can't do anything about it and Panamanians apparently seem to tolerate or even expect it. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Palo Alto Jo Posted December 31, 2017 Share Posted December 31, 2017 It seems like a daily occurrence that someone is being investigated for corruption here. Maybe I'm naive, but won't that help bring down the corruption? Whether they go to jail or not? Just being investigated can ruin one's life and wipe out one's money paying for lawyers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Posted December 31, 2017 Share Posted December 31, 2017 Agree. Corruption is too common and the locals tolerate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnF13 Posted January 1, 2018 Share Posted January 1, 2018 I think the problem lies in the belief that if EVERYONE is corrupt, who can the people elect to fix the problem? When we first got here my very well connected lawyer told me that politicians get elected, get fat, then retire. After 5 years, now I know what he meant by that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted March 5, 2019 Author Moderators Share Posted March 5, 2019 Moderator comment: I believe this news article is related to the above corruption topic. If not, please advise. Quote Appeals in airport scam denied Posted 04/03/2019 Two appeals filed by businessman Gabriel Btesh, under investigation for alleged embezzlement crimes from Tocumen International Airport have been denied. The Anticorruption Discharge Office initiated the case after an audit by the Comptroller General revealed that of the Republic, which determined that the air terminal did not receive $1.9 million from the direct contract granted to Sky Parking, SA, linked to Btesh, for the administration of the parking lots of the international airport. The first of the rejected appeals sought to invalidate the investigation decision in which the prosecution charged him The other appeal rejected was a requested to annul the order of preventive detention, as well as the request of office that the prosecution t to Interpol, in order to issue an international red alert against Btesh. The prosecutor's office has requested in its fiscal hearing an appeal to trial for Btesh, the former Minister of Economy and Finance Frank De Lima ; the former manager of Tocumen's board of directors Juan Carlos Pino ; and José Quintero and Dionisia Gutiérrez, representatives of the company Sky Parking SA, which managed the parking lots between October 2011 and July 2014. https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/appeals-in-airport-scam-denied Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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