CEO OF MSB THAT RAN PETAQUILLA MINING INSIDER TRADING SCHEME MOVES TO VENEZUELA

Pedro José Rojas Ch.

Pedro José Rojas Chirinos, who operated Financiera FinanGente SA, the Panamanian money service business that orchestrated the insider trading scheme that made millions of illegal profits for former President Ricardo Martinelli's close associates, has permanently relocated to Venezuela, reportedly to avoid probable criminal prosecution in the Financial Pacific/Petaquilla Mines Ltd. scandal.

Sr. Rojas, who is the son-in-law of former Minister of Industry and Commerce Ricardo Quijano, issued FinanGente credit cards, which were distributed to members of Martinelli's Cabinet, to purchase Petaquilla stock at low prices; These PEPs had inside information about the company that caused the stock to subsequently soar, at which time they made a huge illicit profit. Rojas used a large portion of the $20m FinanGente held in its accounts, (ostensibly to make loans to Panamanians) to purchase the stock; the conspirators then paid off their credit card balances with criminal proceeds.

Rojas, who personally ferried bulk cash of unknown Venezuelan clients, into Panama's Albrook Airport, on private aircraft, and deposited the same into FinanGente accounts, is a Venezuelan national. His role in the Petaquilla scandal is currently under investigation by Panamanian prosecutors, as is that of Ricardo Quijano, who also left Panama immediately after the scandal broke.

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