THE APPOINTMENT of Minister of Public Security Alexis Bethancourt,  to oversee investigations linked to the Odebrecht bribery  scandal was seen as controversial by civil society  and lawyer groups, but on Monday Feb.20 he   went to the Special Anti­Corruption Prosecutor's Office to file a criminal complaint directed at those who took bribes from the Brazilian construction company

Many observers believe that some of those involved were from the current administration and that Bethancourt was not the man to fill the role.

"We have to defend the state," said Bethancourt who

represents the state in the proceedings brought by the Public Ministry against Odebrecht.

Last December, the US Department of Justice revealed that between 2010 and 2014, the Brazilian company paid $59 million to senior officials in the government of Panama to secure public works contracts. The amount of bribes is believed to be far higher based on the size of the contracts garnered by Odebrecht.

Bethancourt said that filing the complaint would help the government recover the money.