Ticas Take to the Court: Costa Rican volleyball players Kimberly Palmar and Karen Cope reached to gain control of a ball spiked from Cuba's Yanelys Santos during a match at the Pan-American Games, being held in Río de Janeiro, Brazil through July 29.

TACA airlines announced yesterday that, because of popular demand, it is adding new flights from Juan Santamaría International Airport, just outside San José, to Guatemala, Cuba and the Dominican Republic.

Vanilla, Cacao and Cinnamon
Featuring guest lecturer Henry John of Villa Vanilla botanical gardens and spice tours in Quepos, plus gourmet dinner featuring these three spices, 6 p.m., Big Mike's, Bello Horizonte, Escazú. Info: 289-6087, calchef2002@yahoo.com.

Percussion Festival and Conference
Today through July 29, Universidad Nacional, Heredia.

Master Key in Concert
Gospel, 7 p.m., Eugene O'Neill Theater, Costa Rican-North American Cultural Center, Barrio Dent. Info: 207-7554.

By Blake Schmidt
Tico Times Staff | bschmidt@ticotimes.net

Italian entrepreneur Matteo Quintavalle, who had an international warrant out for his arrest for allegations of fraud and illegal financial intermediation, showed up in court in San José yesterday.

“I've been in an apartment three blocks from my house in (the western suburb of) Escazú. I don't know where these stories came from that I was somewhere else,” Quintavalle told members of the press upon arriving to court.

Police couldn't find Quintavalle after they raided his home and other properties last week, and an international arrest warrant was issued for the millionaire, who has been accused by 17 U.S. investors of cheating them with unauthorized deposit slips for a nonexistent bank (TT, July 13).

Some authorities suspected he had escaped to Panama, and others told the daily La Nación that he may have been hiding out in the northwestern Guanacaste town of Santa Cruz, where he is revered by residents for having donated a wall for the local soccer field, among other acts of support.

Quintavalle said he didn't show up in court last week because judicial offices were closed and many court employees were on vacation.

Judicial Branch spokesman Fabian Barrantes said Quintavalle was waiting for a judge to decide if any preventive measures would be issued against him as the case proceeds.

A Costa Rican citizen accused of fraudulent administration identified as Elizabeth Ramírez was arrested Sunday in the U.S. city of Los Angeles, California, according to a statement released yesterday by the international police agency Interpol.

Ramírez, 44, allegedly routed ¢36 million ($69,230) in checks from accounts of the Organization of Regional Agricultural Health ( OIRSA) to her personal accounts while she worked as the organization's financial manager from 1998 to 2002.

She entered the U.S. city of Houston on a tourist visa in 2002, the statement said. Interpol learned that she was residing in Los Angeles, where she ran a cell phone business and allegedly used a false identification card that said she was from Mexico.

She is in custody of immigration authorities and faces deportation to Costa Rica.

-Tico Times

TACA airlines announced yesterday that, because of popular demand, it is adding new flights from Juan Santamaría International Airport, just outside San José, to Guatemala, Cuba and the Dominican Republic.

These new flights were inaugurated with the goal of “strengthening ties between Central America and the Caribbean ” and “expanding the list of services” offered to clients.

The airline will be offering one flight daily between Juan Santamaría International Airport and Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Connecting flights are also available from South America to the Dominican Republic via Costa Rica.

TACA also inaugurated new flights between San José and Havana, Cuba, which will run Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays, supplementing the six flights weekly the airline now offers between these destinations. Connecting flights are also available from El Salvador and Guatemala.

“ Cuba is a destination a lot of travelers, including business people and travelers, are interested in. We are very proud that this destination has had a lot of appeal, which has allowed us to increase the frequency of flights,” said TACA communications director Claudia Arenas.

Finally, the airline added a third daily flight between Juan Santamaría and Guatemala.