The Pozzessere Connection

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Francisco Pozzessere

Elio Lannutti, an Italian senator, former journalist and activist against corruption, is asking many intelligent questions these days, about Panama, Martinelli, Mulino and the shady deal with helicopters and radar installations.

So Lannutti explains that these helicopters, radar installations, mapping services and other stuff have been sold to Panama at grossly inflated prices, then some patrol boats were thrown in as presents, and the question now is where all that surplus money went. The total sum paid was about $300 million.

Enters the scene one Paolo Pozzessere. He used to be - he recently resigned, supposedly - commercial director of Finmeccanica, which is the Italian company that sold all the military stuff. And, says senator Lannutti, "Pozzessere is doing business in Panama with 'Fabrega Molino & Mulino', the law firm of which the Panamanian National Security Minister José Raul Mulino was a member".

Now, remember, this is an Italian scandal, and with Italian-Panamanians, so it's all about family. And this Paolo Pozzessere has a son, Francesco Pozzessere, and he owns and/or runs a number of companies here in Panama. Many of these companies, La Estrella found out by checking the public registry, are being legally represented by Raúl Mulino's law firm. What's more, they started doing business together after the Finmeccanica contract had been signed.

Francesco Pozzessere's companies own Restaurant Divina in Casco Viejo, the boutique hotel Casa del Horno and companies called Colosseum Consultants and Colosseum Investments. Earlier, Pozzessere ran a company called "Enstar" which was active in Germany and the UK - "active" meaning that they were throwing money at projects.

Other than that, the group of Pozzessere companies appears to be without much tangible activity or products, which should raise all kind of red money laundering flags, under the circumstances. It would probably be a rewarding question to ask if multi-million dollar bribes and kickbacks were somehow laundered through the Colosseum and related corporations, with the assistance of beneficiary Raúl Mulino's law firm, right?

It'll be difficult to ask Francesco Pozzessere himself, though. Like Valter Lavitola, Berlusconi's bagman who brokered the deal and is now on the run for Italian justice, Pozzessere appears to have left Panama.

UPDATE: And we have another member of la famiglia, says La Prensa, so let's welcome Italian-Argentinean Gustavo Franchella, the representative of  Selex in Panama, which sold us a bunch of hugely overpriced and outdated radar things.

6 thoughts on “The Pozzessere Connection

  1. Paying 1000% to 5000% over fair market value? Six Patrol ships that are need of a complete overhaul and their scrap value is not enough to bring them to Panama! What a gift! Radars which are analog and will cost hundreds of thousands and thousands of dollars to run and Maintain! ‘Fabrega Molino & Mulino‘ this Law firm really has the people of Panama’s Interests at heart! All the way to their own unnumbered Bank accounts here in Panama and Switzerland! It seems Martinelli and Mulino‘ hearts, minds, and Souls belong to Italy, certainly not Panama!!

  2. Don’t you ever compare Panama to Switzerland. That is an american hoax that you use to distract your people from your very,very big money problems.
    Of course the article’s author is right, this corrupt panamanians are thinking that nobody knows what they do and have been doing for years. But now he has brought the italian mafia here and the days to come will be worst.

  3. Amarillys Taylor,

    Please read what is written!
    By the way what makes Switzerland so special?
    They have had stolen monies in their Banks with unnumbered accounts now for over fifty five years that was depostied by the Nazi’s and other Fascists! What about all the Laundered Heroin and coke money in Swiss Banks also!
    Yes, quite little boring Switzerland who has been the bankers for all the worlds Thieves long before Panama! Switzerland is the Bankers of all the worlds Mafia, Period!

    • Well, Switzerland has one thing that Panama doesn’t, and that is a functioning, de-centralized and participatory democracy that is so stable that it’s boring beyond belief. And a very high standard of living for everyone, not just a happy few families.

      In other words, even if it’s built on banking for crooks, they have at least translated that into quality of life for all. In Panama they can’t even do that.

  4. Okie’s correct EVERYTHING works there and on time including government employees.

    Amazing but true they have drinking water, honest educated police, trash is not the national bird or mammal etc.

    And thank God they don’t call themselves the Costa Rica of Europe!

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