HMM. MORE FRANCE-RELATED CORRUPTION:

Costa Rica’s president said Monday he is asking Miguel Angel Rodriguez to resign as secretary-general of the Organization of American States because of alleged payments from a government contractor. . . .

Pacheco said Rodriguez has not adequately explained money that a former colleague said came from the French telecommunications company Alcatel as a “prize” for a $149 million contract in 2001 for 400,000 cellular telephone lines.

An anonymous tip early this year alerted banking authorities to almost $10 million in transfers last year from an Alcatel account in New York to a Bahamian account in the name of a law firm, Servicios Notariales Q.C.

Investigators say $2.4 million was transferred from the law firm to the Panamanian bank accounts of Jean Gallup, wife of Costa Rica’s telephone and power company director, Jose Antonio Lobo.

You know, we should try this bribery thing ourselves. Apparently, it gets results.