TWO FORMER Ministers of Public Works (MOP) Federico Pepe Suárez and Jaime Ford spent Wednesday night, July 5,  behind bars.

They are under  investigation for overcosts for the contract for  the  rehabilitation and expansion of the Arraiján-La Chorrera highway, which was awarded In 2010 to the company Transcaribe Trading, S.A. (TCT).

The Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office ordered their preventive detention, after days of interrogation.

They are the latest high rollers in the Ricardo Martinelli administration  to be introduced to the limited comforts of a cell in  The Directorate of Judicial Investigation (DIJ). In Ancon.

The prosecution imputes the two former officials and Daniel Ochy, legal representative of TCT, who has been detained since June 22, for  alleged embezzlement.

The prosecution estimates that there was a surcharge of $60.5 million on the work, based  on  a report of the Public Infrastructure Committee of the National Assembly and an MOP audit.