PRESIDENTIAL SCANDAL
Corruption Allegations Hit Boiling Point
Argentina Thursday urged the resignation of OAS Secretary General Miguel Angel Rodríguez, a former president of Costa Rica caught in a scandal, as authorities investigated the allegations against Rodríguez by his former Minister.

Today's Stories: Corruption Allegations Hit Boiling Point Finnish Company Admits Commission Parish Priest Accused of Abusing Young Children Police Rescue Four Young Girls Ticos Stagger Under Inflation Costa Rica Needs to Clear Its Image

Los Carnavales de Límon begin tomorrow, following the naming of a Carnaval Queen tonight. The conteact will be held at the hotel Cocorí commencing at 8pm and is open to one and all. Contestants as young as of 15 will be vying for the crown. The Carnaval runs until the 17th.

The allegations against Rodríguez ''are strong,'' said Argentina's ambassador to the Organization of American States, Rodolfo Gil. ''We believe he should resign,'' the Associated Press reported from Buenos Aires.

Argentina was the first member of the 34-nation hemispheric body to call outright for Rodríguez's resignation from the post he assumed last month. Other nations have remained silent or uncommitted about the scandal.

Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim on Thursday said Rodríguez should be given time to defend himself. ''No one is guilty until it is proven,'' he told reporters in Rio de Janeiro.

Rodríguez allegedly accepted part of a ''prize'' paid to an official in his 1998-2002 administration by Alcatel after it won a $150 million government contract in 2001 to install 400,000 cellular lines in Costa Rica.

Rodríguez has denied knowingly accepting any Alcatel money and vowed to defend himself before the judicial system.

The Fiscal General, Francisco Dall'Anese, confirmed yesterday that the first "denuncias" against Rodríguez are in the hands of the Ministerio Pubico and that Rodríguez will be called in next week.

Dall'Anese said "I hope he comes. An ex-president must keep his word."

The Fiscal said that if Rodríguez does not come, it will be complicated to get him here, though he will use all the necessary force to get him here.
 

Finnish Company Admits Commission
For the first time since the scandal of the sale of medical equipment to the Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social (CCSS) broke out, the Finnish firm Instrumentarium confirmed a 22 percent payment as commission to the Corporación Fischel.

The company also announced that it had hired a law firm to investigate claims of bribery made public in Costa Rica in relation to the CCSS deal.

Meanwhile, the Fiscalía (public prosecutor's office) continues questioning former public officials who allegedly received part of some $8 million, the alleged bribery paid to obtain the $39-million bid for medical supplies for the CCSS.

The scandal has reached even ex-President Rafael Angel Calderón, who with companies to his name, received some $520,500 of the "commissions" allegedly granted by Instrumentarium.
 

Parish Priest Accused of Abusing Young Children
A 14 year old girl and the mother of 7 year old, are accusing the priest at the San Francisco de Dos Ríos church and ex-sub-director o the Eco Católico, for "abusos dishonestos" - abuse of the two minors.

The priest identified only by his last name, Muños, is alleged to have abused, according to the mother's statement, the seven year old boy while in the care of the church while she was at work. The mother said in her statement, she had no other place to leave the boy and that the abuse may have been going on since the boy was 4 or 5 years old.

In a separate accusation, the 14 year old girl told authorities a similar story, of being abused by the priest since she was 7 years old.

The priest was at the church for about 10 years and with a degree in journalism was director of the Eco Católico, a church publication.

The priest has been temporarily relieved of his duties at the church and will face the charges brought against him.
 

Police Rescue Four Young Girls
In a quick and decisive action, police rescued four young girls in the ciudadela La Carpio (west of San José), two of which were completely naked.

The young girls whose ages were 3, 5, 6 and 7 were found in an abandoned construction site with a 20 year old Nicaraguan man, who police say appears to be mentally challenged.

A passing neighbour spotted the young girls and immediately called police, who surprised the man with a quick response.

Alexander Godínez, a member of the Fuerza Publica, said that the man was known to the mother of the children and there was apparent trust. The police action was able to rescue the young girls, though scared, didn't appear were abused.

The man was detained by police and will be appearing in court later today.
 

Ticos Stagger Under Inflation
According to the National Statistics and Census Institute, the Consumer Price Index corresponding to September increased 0.78 percent, taking inflation to 9.52 percent for this year, and to 13.78 percent in the last 12 months, the highest in the last seven years.

Housing, electricity, water, bus fares, fuels, and basic food products are among the items that have delivered the worst impact to Tico pockets.

Besides delivering a heavy blow on family budgets, inflation also affects those who have savings at fixed rates, since their returns will have less buying power.

However, the president of the Central Bank, Francisco Gutierrez, believes that the current trend of inflation does not call for changes in the interest or devaluation rates, since a peak in inflation was expected for September, followed by lower figures that will take the overall inflation for 2004 to 11 percent, as had been expected, by the end of the year.