Panamas ‘annus horribilis’ continues to the end

Panama’s scandal plagued year ends on a down note with prosecutors taking statements from former First Lady Dora Boyd de Pérez Balladares and her son-in-law, Enrique Pretelt Araúz.

They are as part of an ongoing investigation into money laundering charges against former President Ernesto Pérez Balladares and 13 others.

In the same week a special session of the National Assembly will decide on a new Attorney General after acting AG Guiseppe Bonissi resigned on Christmas Eve after reports of organized crime infiltration in his office, and President Ricardo Martinelli’s advisors struggle to cope with Wikileaks revelations.

In referring to Panama's image abroad in 2010, Panama's  administrators might be echoing the words of Queen Elisabeth  II of England in 1992: " it has turned out to be an annus horribilis (a horrible year).

The former first lady and son in law, are scheduled to be interviewed Monday December 27 one day before a court appointed deadline for the completion of the investigations. Last week Isabella and Dora María testified, daughters of Perez Balladares.
The defendants face charges that they used shell companies to hide payments from gambling companies that received licenses while Balladares was in office.

Meanwhile investigations continue into the Cemis case with former president Martin Torrijos expected to testify about allegations that legislators received large bribes to vote for a building project.