New Comptroller to be Investigated
A campaign to force the recently appointment of Alex Solís,
brother of the 2000 presidential candidate, Otton Solís, to resign as comptroller
is picking up speed.
While some legislators are cautious to make any public comment on the
subject, others are calling for Solís to resign, like Humberto Arce, who
is very vocal on the subject.
Today, there is a motion to be tabled in the Legislative Assembly to
appoint a commission to investigate the appointment. A similar motion
was tabled last week, however, it fell one vote short for it's approval.
What changed is the public announcement of former presidents Oscar Arias
and Rafael Ángel Calderón who are recommending that Solís vacate the
post.
In addition, union groups like the Asociación Nacional de Empleados
Públicos (ANEP) and ASDEICE, the former a powerful teachers union, while
the latter is a smaller group formed of ICE employees, who are also
calling for Solís' resignation.
Following Solís' appointment, it was discovered that Solís had signed a
legal document on his brother's behalf and then notarized it. Solís has
never denied the signing of the document and denies any wrongdoing.
Former Vice President Asked to Explain Her
Relationship to the Fischel Corporation
Former Vice President, Astrid Fischel, will be facing a panel of
legislative deputies who are investigating the Caja Costarricense de
Seguro Social (CCSS) scandal, to explain her relationship with the
Fischel Corporation. Or, that is what the panel members hope to achieve,
who un-officially believe that the former Minister will maintain silence
rather than implicate anyone at the 'Corporation'.
According to un-official sources, Fischel will remain silent on the
subject. She is not one of the persons being investigated and there are
no accusations against her. Some legislators feel she will stay quiet so
as not to further compromise her nephew, Wálter Reiche. Critics say that
her reluctance to explain her position will look very bad on her and
those accused.
The legislators are seeking an explanation to the former Vice
President's relationship to the the Fischel Corporation, which she has
publicly claimed she gave up her share ownership some years back.
According to a report of the Superintendencia General de Valores (Sugeval),
the registered partners in the Fischel Corporation are the Grupo
Comercial Corporativo Eos SA and Las Cucas SA, both holding a 35% share,
and CDC Holdings (Barbados SA), who holds a 30% position.
Legislators are keen to learn more of the relationship between Fischel
and Las Cucas SA.
The investigation into the Fischel Corporation began when irregularities
where found at the CCSS and the board of directors were replaced and the
CCSS president, Eliseo Vargas, was discovered to be renting a home from
an executive of the Fischel Corporation.
Police raided the house occupied by Vargas and the offices of the
Fischel Corporation on two different occasions looking for evidence
linking wrongdoing between the two entities.
The CCSS board was replaced by a temporary board of directors and a new
chief is at the helm of the CCSS. The president of the Fischel
Corporation and his lawyer were arrested for destroying key documents
and impeding the police investigation.
Three Dead, Apparent Victims of a Crime of Passion
Early Sunday morning in Birrí de Santa Bárbara de Heredia, according to
witnesses, a man identified as Cristian Alvarado, 26 years of age,
arrived at the house of his friend Jonathan, a friend of his estranged
wife.
When he did not find the man at home, he got furious and shot Jonathan's
wife, Magaly Durán and left her lying, still alive on the floor and left
for his own home some 200 meters away.
He expected to find Jonathan with his wife, however, it was his father
law who opened the door and he shot the man, Don José Chavarría, dead.
Realizing what he had done, he returned to Magaly's home, where she was
still alive, shot her again and then shot himself and died on the scene.
The man's wife, Angélica Chavarría, told police that her husband was
very jealous and though they had been separated for several months, he
followed her around.
Police authorities are investigating the case of murder suicide.
US Authorities Seize Advertising Revenue In Crusade
Against Online Gambling
According to a report in the New York Times, the US authorities have
stepped up their campaign against offshore online gambling sites by
seizing advertising revenue paid to media firm, Discovery Communications
by Costa Rica-based online casino operation, Tropical Paradise.
According to documents filed in Maryland's federal district court,
Discovery was paid $3.5 million by Tropical Paradise to run a series of
adverts for the latter's online casino service during the Travel
Channel's "World Poker Tour", and a further $350,000 to run
advertisements for Tropical Paradise on the Discovery website.
Although Tropical Paradise was informed that it would receive a refund
on the unperformed part of the contract if the advertisements did not
run, this did not occur. Responding to Tropical Paradise's lawsuit for
the return of $3.25 million, launched in April, Discovery did not
dispute the firm's claim to the money, but revealed that it had been
seized by United States marshals on April 6, and could therefore not be
repaid.
Until recently, the crackdown by the federal authorities on those US
firms seen to be "aiding and abetting" offshore online casinos had taken
the form of investigations and requests for information. According to
the NY Times, the US government's recent seizing of the casino-related
cash from Discovery has raised serious concerns with First Amendment and
media experts.
Speaking to the New York newspaper, dean of the University of Richmond's
School of Law, Rodney A. Smolla argued that:
"This is not drug money or terrorist money. The fact it is being treated
as such shows a crusader's zeal against offshore gambling."
 News
Briefs
- Claudia Poll of Costa Rica came in third in 4 minutes, 9.82
seconds in the women's 400-metre freestyle fourth and final stop on
the Mare Nostrum tour. Yamada Sachiko of Japan won the gold medal in a
time of four minutes, 8.18 seconds and Camelia Potec second in
4:09.34.
The Mare Nostrum tour is four-stop series with eight days of racing
crammed over 11 days in Monte Carlo, Canet, Barcelona and Rome.
- The Instituto Costarricense de Acueductos y Alcantarillados (water
and sewers) has announced that it will cut water service to those
clients who are late in paying. Areas that will be affected are San
José centre, Coronado, Zapote, San Francisco de Dos Ríos, San
Sebastián and Paso Ancho
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