AMP admin behind $95 million deal

The administrator of Panama’s Maritime Authority (AMP), Noriel Araúz, one of the most questioned outgoing government officials, wants to close his administration, leaving behind a $95 million contract for the next 20 years.

Araúz, scheduled for January 8, 20024 the presentation of bids for the contracting of the Maritime Service (STM), a radar system for locating vessels sailing in Panamanian territorial waters under the pretext that they must comply with one of the international agreements signed by Panama.

However, AMP is not presenting any study that would allow the contract it is seeking to be awarded to be set at $95 million, before the new government takes over next July.

It is also not supported that it is mandatory to contract this radar service. In the AMP resolution that tries to justify the work, it is only established that Panama has adopted the international convention on the safety of human life at sea, which in one of its articles states that STM contributes to the safety of human life at sea, and to the safety and efficiency of navigation.

Nowhere in the agreement is it established that the countries are obliged to enter into an STM, let alone a deadline for doing so.

Araúz provided speed and urgency to be able to sign this $95 million contract. All in record time, since the tender documents were presented on November 2 in the midst of fierce anti-mine protests that paralyzed the country.

Amid the popular instability, Araúz also conducted the act of approving the tender documents, a meeting attended by 13 companies that would be interested in the large 20-year contract. These companies include Cable & Wireless, Tigo, Air Bus, Telecom, Prodar, Tutumtech, Digital Securities, Amper Sistemas, Digital Solution Corp, C12 Panamá, Corporación Especializada and Afra. This group of companies raised a number of objections to the tender specifications, mainly on issues of experience and technical nature.

This recruitment is marked as a goal in the last part of what remains of the Government of Laurentino Cortiz. “Now AMP is coming out with a tender for 95 million for the maritime transport system. At the end of the terrible management, they want to score a goal from half the field”, established yesterday the lawyer Roberto Ruíz Díaz on the X social network.

It should be noted that Araúz’s leadership in AMP has been highlighted for alleged negotiations in favor of companies of close friends, for changing information to grant licenses to vessels, alleged extortion, negligence, for the downfall of the Panamanian vessel registry and for causing Panama to fall into the gray list of the Paris MoU.

Among the questionable contracts, those awarded by Araúz to the company StwradInc owned by businessman Pablo Torres stand out.

The AMP administrator admitted to being a personal friend of Torres, who retained the ship’s service contract and was associated with a group that was awarded an exclusive contract to supply cruise ship fuel.