Citation call over multiple contracts blocked by CD

THE RULING BLOC of Democratic Change (CD) has voted down a call to bring administrator of the Authority Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (Ampyme), before the National Assembly.

Opposition deputies and civil groups want Giselle Burillo to account for the 15 training contracts of $175,000 granted to the company Strategic Consultants Panama, SA, in less than a year.

Panameñista party deputy, Adolfo Valderrama, called the decision a disgrace and said : "Deputies are called to supervise the officers and, with all respect, I have never seen a thief plead guilty, so she [Burillo] should go to the Assembly and be accountable for every dollar of the Panamanian people that has been invested in the Ampyme "
The deputy said warned that his party will continue with the same line of communication with the ex Ombudsperson, Patria Portugal, who was called to account in the parliamentary chamber before being fired.
"Others that deputies want to call to account are the manager of the Urban and Household [ trash] Authority Henry Ho; Social Development Minister Guillermo Ferrufino, and Minister of Labor and Workforce Development, Alma Cortez, and any other officials who have improperly handles handled public funds,
PRD, Deputy Rogelio Paredes, said it was clear, with the rejection of a citation for Burillo, the government only wants to "sacrifice" some officials, as was the case with ex-ombudsperson Patria Portugal. But it all depends on the "will of the Executive."
"Here there is no separation of powers," reaffirmed. The base of CD is an executive office procedure he said ."Here there is no separation of powers,"

He charged that there is no interest on the part of senior officials to answer questions about their performance in office.
Carlos Gasnell Acuña, of the Panamanian chapter of Transparency International, said the MPs have the power to summon to the Assembly officials of different levels to be accountable, but as long as most of the ruling bloc vote against the call citations will only be issued when public pressure is applied as in the case of the people’s advocate
He said the manager of Ampyme should explain to the public why they have given these awards to one company, and the reasons why it has not for ways to generate more competition in public events , which should translate into savings for the state.