Sounds like a movie plot but it’s real

If it was a movie scenario, viewers might think the plot far fetched, but in Panama it  seems to be regarded as  just one more brick pulled from the crumbling structure of belief in the country’s judicial system.

The awarding of a plum government job to a Panamanian lawyer facing three criminal investigations has raised howls of outrage from civil rights groups, The National College of Lawyers and the media.

William Parodi  has been named  the new  Prosecutor of the Court of Auditors while facing three processes in  the Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court for alleged crimes against the administration of justice involving convicted felon David Murcia Guzmán 
Courthouse sources confirmed  to La Prensa that the three processes related to irregularities  allegedly committed by Parodi while serving  as a prosecutor  of Guzman were still unresolved. {jathumbnail off}

One case  refers to the alleged theft of documents on the delivery of Murcia Guzmán to Colombia after his capture in November 2008. The documents were not found in the records against the Colombian for illegal fund raising and money laundering, but were later found in the offices of Interpol Panama.
The second case involves alleged irregularities in the operation of monitoring and surveillance of Murcia Guzmán before his capture in the country, November 19, 2008.
The third case is the alleged theft of photos that were part of the evidence incorporated in the records against Murcia Guzmán, later published in various media.
In this investigation, prosecutors requested the dismissal of Parodi, because the photos were in the custody of hnis department
According to court sources, there is still no decision on the three charges which  are the subject of analysis of the Criminal Division.
Meanwhile Parodi   said on Friday, June 17  said his appointment reflected that he had committed on crime.
"I have submitted my resignation to the Attorney General. I'm on vacation until July, and not until then will I  decide if I submit my resignation or request a leave without pay, "he said.

He said his appointment must be ratified by the Assembly in the session that begins next July.
Parodi was the prosecutor who ordered the dismissal of  the case against Murcia Guzmán in a money laundering investigation  was first opened by then-Prosecutor Jose Abel Almengor, who was being investigated by then Attorney General Ana Matilde Gomez after an associate of Murcia, under house arrest, visited Miami. He was under the supervision of Almengor who  resigned. The ex prosecutor landed a government job and was made a Supreme Court Judge by President Ricardo Martinelli. He later resigned from that post after allegations surfaced that he had played a key role in a cabal that set out to get Gomez fired.

During the 2008 election campaign there were allegations, that the PRD presidential candidate and  the candidate for the Panama mayor’s jobe were receiving funds from Muricia. That was believed to be part of a disinformation campaign, and reports in recent months point to Murcia money being donated to the Martinelli campaign.