The Public Ministry managed to collect from the construction company Norberto Odebrecht the debt it has to date with Panama.
The Compliance Judge of the First Judicial Circuit of the First District of Panama, Héctor Zarzavilla, ordered the withholding of accounts receivable from the State that Odebrecht has in its favor.
The money will be withheld from current contracts with the Panama Metro, Tocumen International Airport, the Ministry of Public Works and the Ministry of Housing and Territorial Planning.
In a hearing on February 21, 2022, the compliance judge of the province of Panama, through order 1201, decreed delinquency for non-payment of $18.3 million, plus 5% for $919,667, for a total of $19.2 million.
The judge asked the Ministry of Economy and Finance to withhold $15.5 million in any account that Odebrecht has in its favor in the urban renewal projects of Colón and the study, design and construction of the rehabilitation of the Santiago section of the Pan-American highway -Vigui.
In the case of the Panama Metro, the retention of $18 million was requested in the projects of line 1, line 2, branch to the airport.
For the Tocumen International Airport, the withholding of $8 million was ordered in the execution of the Calle de Lima and expansion of the Tocumen International Airport projects.
The withholdings must be made within a period of three months, according to the judicial official documents issued on March 2, 2022 and sent to the institutions.
The Twelfth Criminal Circuit Court, in minutes dated November 9, 2017, approved the collaboration agreement between the companies Constructora Norberto Odebrecht and Constructora Norberto Odebrecht de Panamá with the Public Ministry, establishing a fine of $220 million in a term of 12 years in accordance with the payment capacity of the companies in the context of their operation and the activities they carry out in Panama.
The agreement records that it also has the purpose of preserving the operability of the companies under the commitment of an integral performance, being of vital importance to maintain the jobs, as well as to comply with the terms of the State works.
Odebrecht recently obtained the renewal of the ISO 37001:2016 certificate – Anti-Bribery Management System for its entire operation.
