Italian prosecutors directly implicate Martinelli in Lavitola trial

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Lavitola_in_PanamaRight now it's the PRD that's going down because they can't get over their addiction to gutter politics and literally beating up whomever opposes them, but in a couple of months, dear reader, we'll see the collapse of Ricardo Martinelli, his Cambio Democratico and some allies.

Why? Because while the PRD is addicted to violence; Martinelli & Co are addicted to money. So they steal, skim off, loot - whatever they can get their hands on. And they made the big mistake of doing such deals with the Italians surrounding Silvio Berlusconi, notably his bagman Valter Lavitola.

The scheme, in short, seems to have amounted to buying overrpiced equipment from FINMECCANICA (an Italian state enterprise) and then receiving some of the mark-up back as a bribe.

In this case, Italian prosecutors allege, the bribe money was at least $23.4 million, and Lavitola as well as FINMECCANICA sales director Paolo Pozzessere were responsible for arranging the deal and now face trial over it.

Documents released by the prosecution on Monday name Martinelli as one recipient who would receive over $20 million, plus a Hermes styled luxury helicopter. The money was supposedly paid, the chopper never arrived though.

Lavitola has been allowed house arrest - an indication that he has been cooperating with the prosecutors.

Martinelli is still a free man.

 

5 thoughts on “Italian prosecutors directly implicate Martinelli in Lavitola trial

  1. Is there any possibility that Martinelli could ever be extradited to Italy to face charges? Panamanians don’t extradite there own. Does being Italian trump his Panamanian citizenship in matters of extradition? Or will it be the case that he will be confined to Panama to avoid an Interpol Order of Capture?

  2. When this case was out I thought Martinelli had little to do with it and was the dirty play of Laviota a “metiche” (it means unwanted middleman) who knows influential people and help them to know each other so he wants his cut on the way. I thought Martinelli was just naive and unlucky to get to know him and he doesn’t want some millions because he has much more so why to risk his reputation as president. Now I see I was wrong and he wanted that money. He’s pathologically greedy and envy. For example the Colon Free Trade Zone privatization turmoil. He couldn’t stand that the Motta family who has the most of the business there and they have lot more than he has, he would sell it to his people. He got screwed and with the help of the Motta almost a revolution was started.

    • Hey Arturito, you seem to know lot more than you actually write in this short comment. Please spilled it all out… We are curious about how the quasi-revolution was triggered by the Motta’s…

      • Well…..When I said sell it to Martinelli’s people it means to have more influence at decision making desk in Colon Free Trade Zone more stocks owned by Martinelli’s people means more influence. Ordinary People who started the turmoil don’t understand the complicated economic ties and management that comes with all this s***t. They just hear they gonna sell “pueblo’s ” and that’s it, it triggered.

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