86 facing charges in human trafficking scandal

One week after a Panamanian  newspaper revealed the scandal of  alleged human trafficking through the country’s immigration department,  the power to approve visas for restricted countries is being moved.

The Organized Crime Prosecutor has  referred three investigations to the judiciary  with requests for trial for 86 people, who are accused of human trafficking. The people are officials of the Panama Canal Authority, the Public Ministry, the National Immigration Service and the Judicial Investigation Department.

At a specially convened press conference on Thursday,  My 5, Public Security Minister, Jose Raul Mulino said the National Immigration Service (SNM) will lose the power to approve or deny the visas of citizens from restricted countries, like China, Cuba, Bangladesh and African countries.

This follows a major story in  Panama’s oldes newspaper, La Estrella de Panama revealing alleged irregularities in the NMS related to trafficking in persons of Asian origin.
Mulino that by Friday May 6, President, Ricardo Martinelli, will sign an executive order  transferring the powers will to the Security Council which in future will analyze and decide on  applications, together with the President, and Minister Mulino.
The restriction on the issuance of thevisas also apply to consulates, "This bill will be communicated to the Director of Immigration in Panama and to all the consulates worldwide” he said.
Mulino said that the decision was made on instructions from the president, with to "bringtransparency and clarity until the process of issuing electronic visas."
NMS  has responded to the accusations: “once we had knowledge of the irregularities that took place with people of Asian descent, we proceeded to take the necessary corrective measures to ensure the deportation of the same." 
The former director of Immigration, Antonio Dominguez, told La Prensa.com that "Migration is a Persian market.. and every step has a price."
Dominguez has called   for the removal from office of the  current head, María Cristina González.

Meanwhile members of the Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD) have  presented  a complaint to the Public Prosecutor asking for an investigation to determine if Gonzalez has committed crimes against the  public administration.  Gonzalez has denied all accusations.