Figali being sought by police on money laundering charges
Contraversial businessman Jean Figali, founder of Group F. International, is being sought by police to face charges of money laundering following an investigation by the Special Prosecutor for Organized Crime.
The prosecutor, Jose Ayu Prado said Figali is being charged in a summary that had its origin in a report from the Financial Analysis Unit (UAF) in September 2009. The report says La Prensa was sent to the Attorney General’s Office, which in turn referred it to the Special Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime.
The prosecutor, Jose Ayu Prado said Figali is being charged in a summary that had its origin in a report from the Financial Analysis Unit (UAF) in September 2009. The report says La Prensa was sent to the Attorney General’s Office, which in turn referred it to the Special Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime.
The UAF sent a second report, in December 2009, complementing their initial investigations. The case file already contains 11 volumes and nearly 5000 pages.
Jose Gabriel Carrillo, Figali’s lawyer said his client has been out of the country since Friday, the same day the prosecutor issued the order for the police to bring him in for questioning. He said that the. Investigation:"took us by surprise, we had no knowledge that our client was being investigated. for this offense."
Group F. won several concessions at Amador, during the government of Mireya Moscoso,. for which it owed $ 8.2 million in leases, and has been involved in several controversial events, including the creation of a land fill site in front of the Figali Convention Center.
In Moscoso’s presidency Figali, a Lebanese with Panamanian citizenship, had the rank of ambassador plenipotentiary for Panama and in 2003, managed the Miss Universe contest at the Figali Convention Center.The organization of the event cost Panama nearly $10 million.
