Court refuses to lift Casco Viejo construction ban

Panama’s Supreme Court has refused to lift a September 2009 order forcing stoppage of work on a building in Casco Viejo.

They described work on a building that exceeded height limits as "a flagrant violation of law.”
Local residents organized a campaign and hung banners from their apartments when the building first exceeded the height limit with anadditional two floors added.
The judges considered that the construction could be seen as a  "blatant violation" of regulations concerning the monumental historical area.
The Independence Square project is built on two former property located off the Cathedral Plaza: one inhabited by the first president, Manuel Amador Guerrero, and another, by a national hero Federico Boyd.
The building permit, was, issued on November 8, 2006 by the then district engineer in Panama City, Jaime Salas , now under investigation for money laundering.

 In the ruling it was noted that the former official ‘s apparent "failure" that led to the granting of a building permit "did not follow" standards and procedures governing the development of projects in Casco Viejo
The court did not accept a petition submitted by counsel for the promoting companies, the former judge José Troyano, against the decision.

The ruling was signed by Alejandro Moncada ,Winston Spadafora and Victor Benavides.

Troyano argued that his client companies were suffering in their banking and financial commitments and the suspension meant work stoppage for 50 employees.