First Head Rolls in New Arias Administration
In a little over two weeks from being sworn in, the new government of Oscar Arias Sanchez, sees the first head to roll, with the resigning of Samuel Schachtel Kaver, a member of the newly appointed board of directors of the Refinadora Costarricense de Petróleo (Recope).

Ministro de la Presidencia, Rodrigo Arias Sánchez, announced the acceptance of the resignation yesterday following the news that Kaver's business had a debt with a state agency, in this case the Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social (CCSS) and was a principal debtor of the failed Banco Anglo Costarricense.

Schachtel owns the company Poly Plásticos S.A. which owes the CCSS ¢610 million colones (us$1.19 million dollars) for non payment of worker contributions and is debtor of Banco Anglo for more than ¢155 million colones (us$303.000 dollars).

The resignation was followed by questioning of Schachtel by Legislative deputy for the Partido Acción Ciudadana (PAC), Alberto Salom.

Salom charged that Schachtel was able to avoid the auction sale against Poly Plásticos S.A after the Banco Nacional suspended the action and was able to shelter the assets with the Banco Anglo.

Salon alos pointed out that Schachtel is listed as a contributor to the Arias presidential campaign with a donation of ¢554.682 (us$1.085) in January of 2006, according to information made public by the Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones (TSE).