Odebrecht Pulls Out of Panama Canal Bridge Tender Amid Probe | Weekly News Roundup, Feb. 3rd, 2017

Odebrecht Pulls Out of Panama Canal Bridge Tender Amid Probe | Weekly News Roundup, Feb. 3rd, 2017

Feb 3, 2017 | Panama News

Welcome to the Panama Weekly News Roundup! Here’s the latest.

Panama Naval Air Service receives new Twin Otter transport

The Panamanian National Naval Air Service (SENAN) has received a single new Viking Air DHC-6-400 Twin Otter transport aircraft. The aircraft, whose purchase was announced by Viking Air in November 2016, was officially handed over to the SENAN by Panama’s president Juan Carlos Varela on 23 January.

Varela said the purchase was possible because Panama recovered more than USD100 million during negotiations with Italy over returning a number of reportedly deficient radars bought by Panama’s previous government.

According to the SENAN, four of its pilots were sent to Toronto’s Flight Safety Learning Center for training on the Twin Otter. Viking Air said the aircraft will be used for humanitarian aid duties.

Source: Janes.com

Odebrecht pulls out of Panama canal bridge tender amid probe

Brazilian construction firm Odebrecht, under investigation for paying hundreds of millions in bribes across Latin America, withdrew its bid to build a bridge over the Panama canal, the president of the Central American nation said earlier this week.

Last week, Panama prosecutors said they had charged 17 people, including several businessmen and former government officials, with money laundering in its bribery case against Odebrecht S.A. Prosecutors have not yet identified the people involved.

Odebrecht, a family-owned engineering conglomerate, is at the center of a growing corruption scandal in Latin America and has acknowledged distributing hundreds of millions of dollars in bribes across the region.

It became one of the most important government contractors under former Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli and verbally agreed this month to pay $59 million in reparations for bribes it paid in Panama to win business between 2010 in 2014.

Source: Reuters

Panama’s ex-dictator Manuel Noriega is released from jail

Former Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega, who was finally ousted by a US invasion in 1989, has been released from prison in order to have a brain tumour removed.

Noriega, who was nicknamed Old Pineapple Face because of his pock-marked complexion, ruled Panama between 1983 and 1989 but was deposed by President George H W Bush.

The Reagan and Bush administrations had supported General Noriega, as a bastion against communism, for years but finally ran out of patience with him after he was exposed as being behind the smuggling of massive consignments of drugs to the US and money laundering in Panama.

Source: The Daily Mail

 

All That Jazz: Experience Boquete, Panama’s Jazz and Blues Festival

We’re full-swing into Summer here in Panama, and that means it’s festival season! If you’re visiting Panama, or live here year round, you’re going to have lots on your plate in February and March. One of the most popular festivals in Panama, especially for music lovers, is the Boquete Jazz and Blues Festival. It’s a can’t miss cultural experience that brings together some of the great international artists, as well as the expat community, and Panama’s music community together.

How to get to Boquete for the Jazz and Blues Festival

If you’re traveling to Boquete just for the Jazz and Blues Festival, you’re going to have to be patient. Many people head to this small mountain town from all over Panama (and internationally), so flights and buses will be full, and may be sold out at certain times. That being said, it’s not tough to get there from Panama City, or any of Panama City’s airports. You can fly to David (about a 35-minute drive from Boquete) from both Tocumen and Albrook International Airports, with about 40-45 minute flight times. Tickets are around $90 each way, but the cheaper ones tend to sell out the quickest, so be prepared for fare increases if you purchase last minute.

Source: International Relocation Firm Blog

 

International Relocation Firm Staff Writer

International Relocation Firm Staff Writer

As one of the leading Panama Law Firms, and one of the regions most reliable service providers, International Relocation Firm brings a wide range of professional knowledge to our clients needs. Our staff is made up of professional consultants, Panama attorneys and immigration specialists who are experienced in international relocation, and are experts in providing a seamless Panama immigration process.

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