Panama minister denies links to Colombia drug lord
PANAMA CITY, March 24 (Reuters) - Panama's foreign minister, Samuel Lewis Navarro, a possible presidential hopeful, on Monday denied a newspaper report that he had business contacts with one of Colombia's top drug dealers.
Lewis Navarro described as "absolutely false" allegations that he had dealings with Jose Nelson Urrego, a former communications head for Colombia's powerful Norte del Valle cocaine cartel who was captured in Sept. 2007.
"I have not known, do not know and have never had contact with Mr. Nelson Urrego in my 50 years of life," Lewis Navarro said a statement.
Nelson Urrego said in an interview with Miami's Nuevo Herald newspaper, published on Sunday, that he had talked to Lewis Navarro about selling him a $12 million Pacific island before his arrest last year.
The interview was picked up by Panama's newspapers, stirring controversy as Urrego is known to have lived undetected in Panama for at least three years before his arrest.
Lewis Navarro, who comes from one of Panama's wealthiest families, said he had not had any meetings, business or otherwise with the drug lord, whose cartel operates over the border in northern Colombia.
"I have no interest, nor have I had any interest in buying Chapera Island," he added.
Urrego, who was arrested in 1998 in Colombia for activities related to drug smuggling and served a short prison term, obtained a Panamanian identity card in 2004 and went on to open bank accounts and establish businesses in Panama.
President Martin Torrijos announced a probe late last year into how he managed to live in Panama, even buying Chapera Island, for so long without being noticed.
Urrego says he was an informant for the United States and had been granted safe haven in Panama. He was arrested on Chapera island and is currently in a Panamanian jail.
Lewis Navarro has indicated in the past that he would be interested in running in the 2009 presidential election. (Reporting by Andrew Beatty; Editing by Catherine Bremer)
Lewis Navarro described as "absolutely false" allegations that he had dealings with Jose Nelson Urrego, a former communications head for Colombia's powerful Norte del Valle cocaine cartel who was captured in Sept. 2007.
"I have not known, do not know and have never had contact with Mr. Nelson Urrego in my 50 years of life," Lewis Navarro said a statement.
Nelson Urrego said in an interview with Miami's Nuevo Herald newspaper, published on Sunday, that he had talked to Lewis Navarro about selling him a $12 million Pacific island before his arrest last year.
The interview was picked up by Panama's newspapers, stirring controversy as Urrego is known to have lived undetected in Panama for at least three years before his arrest.
Lewis Navarro, who comes from one of Panama's wealthiest families, said he had not had any meetings, business or otherwise with the drug lord, whose cartel operates over the border in northern Colombia.
"I have no interest, nor have I had any interest in buying Chapera Island," he added.
Urrego, who was arrested in 1998 in Colombia for activities related to drug smuggling and served a short prison term, obtained a Panamanian identity card in 2004 and went on to open bank accounts and establish businesses in Panama.
President Martin Torrijos announced a probe late last year into how he managed to live in Panama, even buying Chapera Island, for so long without being noticed.
Urrego says he was an informant for the United States and had been granted safe haven in Panama. He was arrested on Chapera island and is currently in a Panamanian jail.
Lewis Navarro has indicated in the past that he would be interested in running in the 2009 presidential election. (Reporting by Andrew Beatty; Editing by Catherine Bremer)
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