Ex-President Rodríguez Implicated in Alcatel Scandal
José Antonio Lobo Solera, mid-day yesterday openly talked to television cameras from his living room of his luxurious home in Alajuela, telling reporters that his wife's sudden departure on Tuesday was for family reasons, a trip that had been programmed earlier, and she would return by the end of this week.

Former Costa Rican president, Miguel Ángel Rodríguez, according to former ICE director, José Antonio Lobo Solera, asked for a 60/60 split of the Alcatel "prize". José Antonio Lobo Solera on his way to the prosecutor's office, where he was detained following his declaration. Lobo is in the Goicoechea court cells while a judges considers a request for preventive detention.

He told reporters, with a sad tone, that his wife did not receive any payoffs and that she loved Costa Rica and would be back. He talked directly to the cameras and dared reporters to come up with anyone at ICE who can say that he intervened in the normal procedure of the Alcatel contract.

However, his tune changed somewhat in the early evening, following an interview with the Fiscalía, where he told prosecutors that former Costa Rican president Miguel Ángel Rodríguez had asked for a 60% take of the spoils from Alcatel contract.

"Alcatel was the winner, they contacted me to tell me they had the prize. I consulted with don Miguel Ángel Rodríguez, asking what I needed to do. He told me that I should accept and that we would split it 60% for him and 40% for me", were the words declared by Lobo in front of four prosecutors.

Lobo added that it was Edgar Valverde, general manager at Alcatel, who called him to tell him of the "prize".

According to a report by the Spanish daily newspaper La Nación, Lobo said that Miguel Ángel had called him by telephone last week (the week of 17 September 2004) and Miguel Ángel told him that he would receive a note that showed Miguel Ángel owed Lobo money. The idea was to cover up the Alcatel deal.

Lobo added "Don Miguel Ángel never had any debt with me."

La Nación reports to have contacted former president Miguel Ángel Rodríguez in his office in Washington, where he was officially installed as Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS) last week, who admitted to reporters that he had received monies from José Antonio Lobo Solera, a total of us$140.000.

The money, however, according to Rodríguez, was a personal load from Lobo, that helped him pay to finance his campaign for the Secretary General post.

Rodríguez was emphatic that when he received the loan from Lobo he had no idea that the money originated or was tied to Alcatel.

The Fiscal General, Franciso Dall'anese told La Nación that the Ministerio Público has enough evidence to contradict the explanation offered by the ex-president. Dall'anese added that there is sufficient evidence that shows the money was not a "personal loan" as Rodríguez claims.

Lobo was detained following his statement to the Fiscalía and was taken to the Goicoechea court cells, awaiting a judge's decision on the preventive measures that will used against Lobo.

The Fiscalía is asking for preventive detention for Lobo.