Alcatel's Alleged Bribery Payments doubled
Costa Rica's attorney general has calculated that the local unit of French equipment supplier Alcatel paid bribes amounting to us$17.8 million during 2000-2003, rather than us$9.6 million as originally thought.

The attorney general's office is still investigating the case and this figure is by no means conclusive, but the agency has nevertheless asked that an ongoing civil lawsuit against Alcatel Central America be adjusted to incorporate the new figure.

The investigation of Alcatel forms part of nine lawsuits targeting 20 other firms and individuals including former Costa Rican presidents José María Figueres and Miguel Ángel Rodríguez.

Alcatel Central America is alleged to have paid the bribes to secure contracts, particularly a us$149 million contract awarded in 2001 to install 400,000 GSM cellular telephone lines for the  state telecom monopoly ICE.

Investigations into the case began in 2004.

Figueres, now residing in Switzerland, has admitted receiving us$900,000 from Alcatel, but says they were legitimate consultancy fees and received in 2000, almost two years after he left the presidency.

Former president Figueres has refused to return to Costa Rica to answer questions of a legislative commission and efforts to force him to return has been abandoned.

Meanwhile, Rodríguez had to step down as head of Organization of American States (OAS) only after a month in office and spend months in a Costa Rican jail after being arrested as he returned to Costa Rica. The former president is currently free after posting bail and is adamant about clearing his name.