AMP Admin, interviewed by appointment

He plenary session of the National Assembly strongly questioned yesterday the Director of the Maritime Administration of Panama (AMP), Noriel Araúz, due to alleged irregularities, including conflict of interest and negotiation in favor of friendly companies, where the name of businessman Pablo Torres surfaced again.

Representatives, among them, Juan Diego Vásquez, Luis Carles, Yesenia Rodríguez and Mayín Correa, Serious questions were also raised by improper certification of ships owned by relatives AMP administrator, such as the so-called GI Bunkera tanker that would not be old enough to accommodate work permit in Panama, according to the representatives.

The strongest accusations against Araúz came when lawmakers questioned the direct hiring the company Steward Agency, owned by businessman Pablo Torres, a personal friend AMP admin. There are three direct contracts in favor of the Torres company, but Araúz said that it is not a direct contract, since they are listed with two other companies and that funds are used from sources generated from the annual inspection fee.

Deputy Raúl Pineda tried to stop him plenary session of the Assembly due to the lack of quorum, as a way to save Araúz from the strong scrutiny of his management at AMP and the repeated listing of contracts in favor of his friends’ companies.

Deputy Carles referred directly to the 23-line warning cruises against AMP orderforcing all cruise ships arriving in Panama to be fueled with one company: nun. This when there are more than 15 companies in the market which offer fuel filling service.

It is a company associated with Pablo Torres, Araúz’s personal friendwho received controversial contracts worth millions of dollars from his management at AMP, such as exclusive vessel service for entity inspectors by the company Steward Oil, as pointed out by deputy Carles at the plenary session.

Araúz emphasized once again that it is not a direct contract, but a decision of the port operator Colón Cruises 2000. Ali Araúz He avoided talking about his relationship with businessman Pablo Torres.

He even said, trying to stop the accusations against him, that cruise ships can be supplied with fuel from any company “but outside Panamanian ports”. It was accepted that in ports Panamanian cruise ships must purchase fuel from MONJASA.

Araúz was also questioned about maintaining his duties as director Merchant Navy to Rafael Cigarruista, because of a conflict of interest because he worked for a foreign ship registry.

Deputy Vásquez repeated the question of Fr Cigar player, pointing at Araúz that he should have suspended him from his position because of his objections to his having approved the registration Gi Bunker ship.

Deputy Rodríguez pointed out that AMP he is involved in a series of scandals affecting the country. He pointed out that another of the decisions that affect the country is the collection of compensation for the crew of cruise ships that come to the country, while in the rest of the world this is not the case. Araúz said he made this accusation National Migration Service.

As part of the question, Araúz also had to accept that in Amador Cruise Port tankers are being robbed. Araúz tried to justify this problem as a way of exploiting the structure, pointing out that it is in the final stages of construction. This after pointing out the poor service at cruise ship ports.

He also said that the terminal was put into use because the cruisers agreed to such a way of working.

Another questionable issue is the creation of a ship-breaking yard in Colón, because it allegedly did not have an approved environmental impact study. Here the company was favored JAM Marine Dockyard.