|
More Discoveries in the
Fischel-Caja Scandal
As the investigation
into the Fischel-Caja scandal
continues, it add more names to
the list as the investigators
follow the trail of the money.
Yesterday, it was revealed
that former manager of the
Corporación Fischel, Marvin
Barrantes, received almost $1
Million Dollars, all coming from
the Finnish loan.
Investigators discovered that
the Sociedad O Fishel R Panamá,
issued a payment of $938.778
Dollars to a private bank
account held by Barrantes at the
Bac Panamá bank.
The account was very active,
according to the records. Large
money transfers began on January
27, 2003, with a $258.803, then
$100.000 in February of that
same year and another $90.500
followed in March. In September
of 2003, $352.000 was deposited
to the account and another
$82.475 in January of this year.
Harcourt Holdings, a company
held by Walter Reiche Fischel,
also deposited to the Barrantes
account the sum of $45.935.
Barrantes left the Corporación
Fischel last month, even though
it appears he was the best paid
manager at the pharmaceutical
firm.
A "telenoticias" channel 7 news
team who has been following the
story tried to interview
Barrantes, however, they were
not able to locate him.
Barrantes' inlaws were of no
help as they told the news team
they did not know the
whereabouts of their son-in-law
or the location of his house.
The news team pointed out that a
"fischel" car was parked in the
driveway.
The president of the board of
directors of the Corporación
Fischel, Emilio Bruce, said that
it was not a coincidence that
Barrantes left the firm last
month, but, a consequence of
what is happened.
Bolaños Gives Back the Money
A report in the daily
Spanish newspaper La Nacion,
tells that former legislative
deputy and former director of
the Caja Costarricense de Seguro
Social (CCSS), Gerardo Bolaños,
who is also a partner in the law
firm of former president
Rafael Angel Calderón, gave back
to the Ministerio Público a
deposit certificate in the
amount of ¢28.4 million colones.
The money was on deposit for a
term of one year and equals the
sum of $90.000 Dollars and
$62.000 Dollars, that were
received by Bolaños and his
wife, Ligia Céspedes, from
Harcourt Holdings, a Panamanian
firm held by Walter Reiche
Fischel.
Bolaños told La Nacion that the
devolution was part of a deal he
made with the "Fiscalia" - the
prosecutor's office.
Bolaños is currently under house
arrest for his involvement in
receiving funds from the
Corporación Fischel with respect
to the Finnish credit loan to
the CCSS.
Bolaños said that the money is
the "total" amount he received
from Harcourt Holdings.
Former president Rafael Angel
Calderón who also received
$440.500 from Harcourt said he
respects the decision by his law
firm partner, but he has not
given thought to returning the
money he received.
Calderón told news reporters
waiting outside his lawyer's
office, that "our circumstances
are different. If don Gerardo
did so, it is part of his
strategy for a legal defense. I
respect it."
Gonzalo Castellón, Calderón's
lawyer, added that his client's
case is different from the
others involved in this case.
"Don Rafael has not been
indicted nor can he be
considered a 'funcionario'
(sic), thus the
investigation should be centered
if the origin of the money is
legal or illegal".
Arias Foundation Returns
Donation
The Fundación Arias
para la Paz y el Progreso Humano
yesterday announced that it
returend $8.000 Dollars to the
Corporación Fischel, monies the
pharmaceutical firm had donated
to the group for a program
called "Escuela Segura,
Comunidad Segura".
The program is being developed
in conjunction with the the
Ministerios de Educación y
Seguridad Pública.
Luis Alberto Cordero, a
spokesperson for the group,
assured that the money returned
is all that was donated by
Fischel.
State Turns Back on Victims
Ivette
left her home when she was 14,
and shortly after she fell prey
to drugs and to sexual
exploiters.
There was no response to her
problem from the State.
And Ivette's is just one case
among many, since many are also
the sexual exploiters who set
their nets in San Jose and
elsewhere in Costa Rica.
The case of U.S. citizen Thomas
Cochram - sentenced to 46 years
- is just one of the many which
reveal the misfortunes of more
than 40 youngsters who have not
received official care.
Ivette, just like many other
victims, never found a state
institution specializing in her
case and those of her sisters
and brothers on the streets. So
far, state action has been
limited to advising the children
as to their behavior in court,
when their abusers are tried,
but "We don't know what their
fate will be once the trial is
over," admits attorney Mauricio
Boraschi.
Official sources admit that even
though they put many of the
exploiters behind bars, the
children go back to the streets
and their problem remains
unsolved. Several private
organizations that pitch in are
simply overwhelmed, because they
lack the funds and the
facilities to take care of the
many boys and girls who need
urgent help.
On the other hand, lured by
money, drugs, jewels, and other
baits, poor Tico children are
attracted to the exploiters, who
are not deterred by the efforts
of law-enforcement agencies to
put an end to their crimes.
Empty
Pews
The
Catholic bishops of Costa Rica
appointed a commission that is
to draft plans to stem the
increasing desertion in the
ranks of the faithful.
A recent survey by the School of
Mathematics of the University of
Costa Rica found a marked
decrease in the number of
Catholics, from 77 percent in
2003 to 71.3 percent last month.
The figures confirm those of a
survey by Unimer earlier this
year, when the number of
Catholics was found to be 73
percent.
A Catholic source admitted that
this means that some 658 people
a day or 27 an hour are leaving
the church.
According to analysts, a
majority of Costa Ricans are
believers and, while many have
joined other Christian
organizations, there are no few
Ticos who believe that formal
religious ceremonies are
unnecessary.
Mario
Lague,
New Canadian
Ambassador to Costa Rica
Canadian Prime Minister Paul
Martin's former communications
director has landed a plum post
as ambassador to Costa Rica --
and the Opposition doesn't like
it.
The Foreign Affairs Department
announced the selection of Mario
Lague yesterday.
Lague served as Martin's deputy
chief of staff for
communications from December to
July.
Stockwell Day, Conservative
foreign affairs critic, said the
selection "clearly has a
political ring to it."
"Mr. Martin has said many times
that political patronage and
political appointments were from
a past regime, and would not
reflect his style of doing
business."
"Unfortunately, it looks like
nothing much has changed."
Lague replaces Louise Léger, who
has been Canada's Ambassador to
Costa Rica since August 2001.
The Canadian Embassy located in
San José, Costa Rica, covers the
three nations of Honduras,
Nicaragua and Costa Rica.
A Guerilla Meeting with the UN
Media
After a last-minute
decision to avoid confrontation
with UN officials, the UN press
corps proceeded with a
videoconference with Chen
Shui-bian,
President of the Republic of
China, at a nearby hotel,
where Chen said that exclusion
from the UN was unjust and
dangerous for the region
President Chen Shui-bian:
Peace, respect, equality and
amity are the core values on
which the UN was established.
They are also important assets,
which have enabled the UN to
sustain human civilization from
the time of its founding to
today.
As a member of the international
community, Taiwan has faithfully
performed all duties and
responsibilities set forth by
the UN. We also play an
indispensable role in such areas
as the global economy and trade,
peacekeeping efforts,
humanitarian relief and even the
consolidation of democracy.
" We believe that our quest to
join the UN is not aimed at
provoking China. We are not
seeking to represent China in
the UN. Instead, Taiwan is
Taiwan."
A free and democratic country
like Taiwan deserves to be
treated properly and with
respect by the international
community.
Patricia Ugalde, Grupo Nacion
asked the question regarding
Costa Rica's support for Taiwan
to be part of the UN.
Ugalde: It has been said
in the past that Taiwan offers
political support rather than
economic aid, and there have
also been some scandal issues
about international
administration of debt money in
our countries. Does Taiwan plan
to give economic aid instead of
political support to get other
countries to support Taiwan for
the UN?
Chen: Costa Rica is
an important ally of Taiwan and
we are grateful for the support
and friendship expressed by the
government and people of Costa
Rica to the 23 million people of
Taiwan.
We firmly believe that the
diplomatic relationship between
Taiwan and Costa Rica is not
based only on financial and
economic cooperation, but rather
on our shared values of
democracy, freedom, human
rights, peace and other
universal principles.
Taiwan was once a recipient of
foreign aid and now that we are
capable we must contribute and
repay to the international
community and play out our
responsibilities.
So to our friends and allied
nations such as Costa Rica, we
are concerned about the welfare
of the people and the economic
infrastructure of the country,
and if there is anything that
Taiwan's people or government
can do, we are always willing."
|
