Taiwan Again Implicated in Costa Rican Corruption
Alleged payments by Taiwan to former Costa Rican president Miguel Angel Rodríguez were added to a growing list of scandals involving the Taipei government and Costa Rican politicians and civil servants.

Today's Stories: Taiwan Again Implicated in Costa Rican Corruption Alcatel Total Payout To Date: us$4.400.000 Costa Rica to Host Private Sector Forum in San José CONCACAF SOCCER:Costa Rica beat Canada 3-1 Pacheco on Taiwan and Rodríguez "I hope he has an explanation..." were the comments by President Abel Pacheco after learning that the Taiwanese government made a payment of us$1.400.000 to former president Miguel Angel Rodríguez. When reminded that he too had received a campaign contribution by the Taiwanese, Pacheco, responded, "that was different..." The President also said that Costa Rica should continue to receive aid from Taiwan, a country he calls a friend and that diplomatic ties should not be broken. The president also insists that Rodríguez has a lot of explaining to do, and that he is very angry with him. Foto: /Al Día False Alarm! What will happen when Miguel Angel Rodríguez arrives in Costa Rica? According to judicial officials, as he steps foot on Costa Rican soil, he will be immediately arrested. That was the case yesterday, when strong rumours circulated that Rodríguez would be arriving. OIJ agents went home empty handed, however, remain on alert for his arrival today or tomorrow.

Foto /LA NACIÓN Former ICE director, Hernán Bravo, admits having received us$800.000 from Alcatel. He is sorry and says will pay back every cent.

Where's My Car? A list of parking lots with the highest number of vehicles reported stolen, according to complaints filed at the Organismo de Investigacion Judicial (OIJ), between January 1 and October 4 of this year: San José Multiplaza del Este: 14 Multiplaza Escazu: 14 Hospital México: 10 Universidad Latina: 7 Price Smart Zapote: 7 Plaza del Sol: 6 Centro Comercial del Sur: 5 Burger King Zapote: 4 Universidad de Costa Rica: 4 Plaza América: 4 Centro Comercial de Guadalupe: 3 Perimercados Moravia: 3 Comercial de Desamparados: 2 Centro Comercial Novacentro: 2 Outlet Mall: 2 Plaza Mayor: 2 Universidad Fidélitas: 2 Centro Comercial del Oeste: 1 Mall San Pedro: 1 Maximercado Desamparados: 1 Plaza Colonial Escazú: 1 Tienda Aliss: 1 ULACIT: 1 Heredia Comercial Real Cariari: 15 Banco Popular: 3 Bar Catamarán: 2 Cartago Terramall: 5 Palí (El Tejar): 1 Banco Nacional de Costa Rica: 1 Alajuela Mall Internacional: 12 Palí (Pacífico): 3 Perimercado de La Radial: 3 Pali (Grecia): 3 Policía de Tránsito: 3 Pali (Plaza Ferias): 2 Pali (Palmares): 1 Maximercado (Plaza Ferias): 1 Hospital de San Ramón: 1 Pali (Villa Bonita San Antonio): 1 Source: Jorge Rojas, director del OIJ

Rodríguez, who resigned last week as secretary general of the Organization of American States (OAS), is accused of receiving us$200,000 dollars in 2001 from the Taiwanese Foreign Ministry, and another us$200,000 dollars in 2002 from the Taiwanese Embassy in San Josó.

The payments were allegedly made during Rodríguez' 1998-2002 presidential term.

In addition, the Panama-based Denisse company, controlled by Rodríguez, received two payments of us$500,000 dollars each in 1999 from the Friendship Company, believed to have links to the Taiwanese government.

Those alleged payments are being investigated by the Costa Rican Fiscalía, which this week sent two investigators to Panama to probe the company's banking transactions, said Channel 7's "Telenoticias"  and the Spanish daily La Nación.

Rosa Hu, spokeswoman for the Taiwanese Embassy in San José, said she had no information on the reports, and "neither does the ambassador."

The Costa Rican opposition has demanded explanations and has proposed breaking off relations with Taiwan over the alleged payments.

The arguments are playing out against the backdrop of a congressional debate over a draft bill that would ban companies that have paid bribes to Costa Rican officials from doing business in the country for 10 years.

That draft bill was motivated by a recent scandal involving the French company Alcatel and the Finnish company Instrumentarium, suspected of paying under-the-table money to Costa Rican politicians and civil servants.

This was not the first time Taiwan has been dragged into Costa Rican scandals.

Last June, when he was already the OAS secretary general elect, Rodríguez was called to testify before a parliamentary commission investigating campaign financing.

He was questioned about a us$500,000 dollar contribution in 2002 to his Partido Unidad Social Cristiana (PUSC) political party, which is also the party of current President Abel Pacheco, by Taiwanese companies whose existence could not be verified.

Former president Rafael Angel Calderón who is implicated in the Fischel-Caja scandal is also from the PUSC party,

Another investigation concerned a us$4.8 million dollar donation by Taiwanese government to the Costa Rican Foreign Ministry for economic development and tourism projects.

Press reports in Costa Rica last May said that that gift actually went to pay the full or partial salaries of 34 employees of the Costa Rican Foreign Ministry, including the daughter of President Pacheco.

Costa Rica is one of 26 countries that recognize the sovereignty of Taiwan, which is considered a rebel province of China. Taiwan has been lobbying hard for years to win independent nation status.

Alcatel Total Payout To Date: us$4.400.000
Just when you thought the wave of corruption scandals was calming down, another revelation yesterday by television Channel 7's "Telenoticias" confirmed that another former director of the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE) got paid by Alcatel.

Hernán Bravo, who was a director between 1998 and 2004 received us$800.000 dollars from the French telecommunications firm, who was awarded two multimillion dollar contracts in the last three years, the last being for us$149 million dollars to install 400.000 GSM cellular lines.

Telenoticias confirmed that Alcatel had deposited millions of dollars into a bank account by the firm Intelmar, which is related to Leonel Barrios, a former Alcatel technical assistant, from which various payments were made companies which Bravo is a partner or has ineterest.

One such company, Empaques Asépticos S. A, received three payments: us$162.000, us$149.000 and us$142.500.

Intelmar is belived to have drawn cheques through a Panamanian bank, Banco Continental en Panamá, to NCR Holding, a company controlled by Alfonso Guardia Mora, cousing of former president Rafael Angel Calderón, who is also accused of recieving payments from the Corporación Fischel with respect to the Finnish loan to the Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social (CCSS).

Bravo told Telenoticias that the payments and his actions were made on a personal level and nothing to do with his partners and associates and that he is expecting a call from the Ministerio Público, who is investigation the Alcatel corruption scandal.

He also said that "all his decision as an ICE director" were correct and is repentful of having accepted the payments later on and "will return every cent."

To date, Alcatel is known to have paid out: us$2.400.000 dollars to José Antnio Lobo, us$1.200.000 dollars to Joaquín Alberto Fernández and us$800.000 to Hernán Bravo, for a total of us$4.400.000 dollars.

The La Nación reported today that two judges have arrived in Costa Rica, from France,  to study the Alcatel "prize", the payment of money to ICE directors for the awarding of the GSM contract. As well, the Honduras government has begun an investigation into the dealings of Alcatel in that country.

Costa Rica to Host Private Sector Forum in San José
The fight against Corruption, the Promotion of Transparency and Free Trade are some of the themes that will figure prominently in this year's Business Forum at the IberoAmerican Summit of Heads of State and Heads of Government, according to the President of the Inter-American Economic Council Barry Featherman.

Featherman made the announcement in a press conference in Washington, DC, following his return from Costa Rica. The Council is scheduled to convene a Regional Meeting of Investors and Businessmen on Nov. 18, 2004 in San José.

In a letter to Featherman, Costa Rican President, Abel Pacheco, wrote, "I take note of the interest of your Council in organizing a Regional Meeting of Investors and Businesspersons as part of the XIV IberoAmerican Summit of Heads of State and Heads of Government scheduled to take place in November in San José, Costa Rica. I agree with you that it is important to take advantage of international meetings of high level government officials to organize parallel activities for the private sector of the Hemisphere. Given the foregoing, it will be an honor for my Government to sponsor this event and collaborate in every way possible to ensure its success."

Featherman expressed his gratitude to President Pacheco. Featherman noted that this forum will serve as an important follow-up to last year's IberoAmerican Summit Business Forum that the Council organized under the auspices of the government of Bolivia in collaboration with President Mesa and Foreign Minister Siles.

Featherman noted that issues of importance to Central America will figure prominently, such as the U.S. Central America Free Trade Agreement. He noted that many Central American governments will be pleased that they and the private sector will have an opportunity to interact with Members of the U.S. Congress at the Forum.

The Council President noted that high level ministerial delegations from every Latin American Country plus Portugal and Spain will begin arriving in Costa Rica during the second week of November. The Council has asked President Pacheco to Inaugurate the Sessions.

"The Ibero-American Summit of Heads of State and Heads of Government in Costa Rica is another key component of our Organization's efforts to bring more investment to Latin America," said Featherman. "We are fully committed to promoting democracy, fighting corruption and realizing the potential opportunity that the CAFTA and FTAA offers the Hemisphere, by providing a forum for Heads of Government and the Hemisphere's Foreign Ministers to ensure that the CAFTA facilitates economic growth and development in all the sectors."

This key meeting in Costa Rica will also enable the heads of state and government to hear private sector viewpoints on trade and investment in the hemisphere. It will be the only opportunity for the private sector and civil society to interact with the government leaders at the summit and therefore is a critical meeting for the region's business and civil society leaders.
 

CONCACAF SOCCER:
Costa Rica beat Canada 3-1
Costa Rica overcame an early goal down to beat Canada 3-1 in Vancouver on Wednesday, ending the home team's hopes of advancing to the next round of World Cup qualification.

Paulo Wanchope, William Sunsin and Carlos Hernandez each came off the bench to score as Costa Rica erased an 1-0 deficit to register a third straight win.

Desperate for a victory, Canada began brightly when Dwayne de Rosario thundered a right foot past a diving Alvaro Mesen in the 12th minute to put the hosts 1-0 ahead.

However, Costa Rica fought back after the break to ensure Canada remained without a win in CONCACAF Group B with two draws and three losses.

Guatemala and Honduras are the other teams in the group. The top two teams advance to next year's six-nation final qualifying pool.

Only the top two countries advance to the final round of World Cup qualifying in CONCACAF, which covers North and Central America and the Caribbean.