After the government approvals of the permits required for the PSA concession, between March and April 2015, the lawyer and politician Miguel Antonio Bernal filed two criminal complaints against PIMPSA, the company with previous concession of the lands in the area of the port of Rodman. Bernal filed these complaints on his own behalf, acting on "the best interest" of the Panamanian people, alleging corruption in the awarding of the concession.
The case of March 2015 involved a criminal complaint against Ricardo Martinelli Berrocal and his Cabinet for irregularities in the lease and investment contract for the land concession in the Rodman area; alleging damage to financial interests, corruption, abuse of authority and violation of the duties of the public officials.
In particular, Bernal filed a complaint against the Cabinet resolution that approved a lease and investment agreement between the Ministry of Economy and Serviamérica, Corp., a subsidiary of the Liberman Group that aimed to build and operate a multimodal port adjacent to the former Rodman Naval Base, with the first option to buy.
Attorney Bernal argued that the adjudication process violated normal / standard public bidding procedures and that Serviamérica was acquiring the land at a price below its market value. According to the complaint, the land had a value of US $ 14,989,400.62 and the Liberman Group acquired it for US $ 8,993,640.00 to be paid in 30 years.
Cabinet Resolution No. 19 25/2/14:
The complaint was studied by the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office of the Attorney General's Office and judged by the Second Criminal Court of Panama, and was dismissed by the competent authorities when it was determined that the Lease and Investment Agreement did not have legal validity since it was not executed. The approval of the Cabinet is only one of the steps in the administrative approval of a contract and, therefore, there was no purchase of land that could be alleged.