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Peruvian investigators look here for Montesinos's and Fujimori's funds

by Willy Carrera Loza

Three members of a Peruvian congressional investigating committee have recently been in Panama to solicit this country's official help in tracking down some $430 million in ill-gotten profits that former President Alberto Fujimori and his erstwhile security chief Vladimiro Montesinos allegedly deposited in Panamanian banks. The legislators met with judges, Banking Superintendant Delia Cárdenas, officials from the Public Ministry and members of Panama's Legislative Assembly.

The mission was to freeze funds that the visiting delegation claimed belongs to the Peruvian government. Congressmen Pedro Morales and Manuel Darment Egoaguirre and Congresswoman Julia Hernández alleged that the money is public property because it was skimmed from the proceeds of privatizations that took place during the Fujimori administration. Morales claimed that sources told them that the money was deposited in Panama by two companies, Treves Intora and W21.

"There are reasonable indicators of this," Morales told The Panama News, as he was leaving a meeting with Deputy Attorney General Mercedes Araúz de Grimaldo, special drug prosecutor Rosendo Miranda and prosecutor Daniel Batista. The prosecutors shared information that they have acquired since Peru made its request to the Attorney General in February.

According to reports published in Lima, the $430 million was deposited in an account at the Banco Exterior (since merged with BBVA), pursuant to Fujimori's personal orders. One of the companies used for the series of transactions was Treves Intora Association Limited, whose offices are on the second floor of the Torre Swiss Bank on Calle 50 East, in Marbella. The company was incorporated in the Bahamas by John Foster and Emilio Navas, the latter a Panamanian. In February 1996 Foster and Navas authorized Peter Jeney, a Swiss national, to handle aircraft sales for the company.

The investigators believe that more recently Treves Intora's affairs have been handled by the law firm of Alemán, Cordero, Galindo and Lee, among whose partners is the present foreign minister's brother. Also among the firm's partners is Carlos Cordero, who is a member of Panama's Foreign Relations Council. They said that money flowed in and out of the account at Banco Exterior via several other Panamanian banks.

Morales said that he encountered a helpful attitude in Panama's government. "We're hoping that the truth will soon see the light of day, and we will be able to recover these funds that belong to all Peruvians," he said. Expressing hope that the Panamanian part of the investigation will not be blocked by bank secrecy, Morales vowed that "we will continue our investigation and track down Montesinos, until we arrive at the truth."

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