Panama comedian jailed 6 years on drugs conviction

The AUDIENCE for Panama Comedian Michael Vega Ortega, will be limited to fellow inmates at the La Joya prison for at least four years, allowing for time off for good behavior.

Ortega had pleaded guilty to  aggravated possession of drugs hoping that  that the Criminal Court of La Chorrera would replace jail time with a fine or community service.

The strategy failed to convince  Judge José Hoo Justiniani who handed down a six years jail a sentence and two years disqualification from public office.

Vega was arrested on January 27, 2013 in  La Pesa Chorrera when carrying 26 packages of cocaine hidden in two double false bottoms of a car.
At the preliminary court hearing, defense attorney Kathia , Vega requested an abbreviated process  ie , moving directly into the trial phase to determine the guilt or innocence of Vega. The defendant viewed the process by video from
La Joya prison .

The defenense requested that when imposing the sentence he took into account the  guilty plea and the abbreviated process
In the ruling, Justiniani Hoo said the guilty plea Vega could not be taken as mitigating because it must be timely . "In principle he did not cooperate with the investigation,"  said Hoo/
The  prosecuting staff and the Directorate of Judicial Investigation (DIJ ) in El Dorado, where the vehicle rested for  a few months with were unaware that the drugs were hidden in the vehicle." As soon as police officers retained it, he had to have told them: rather than make more work, ‘I have drugs there.' So if taken as a mitigating circumstance cooperation had to be before the drugs were found   "said the judge.  Once found Vega was left with no choice but to accept responsibility.

Vega’s offense could have incurred penalties ranging from 8 to 12 years, but, said the judge he could not apply a higher penalty because it was not proven that the drug was to be transferred or sold . The judge proceeded on the basis of nine years in prison which he downgraded one third because the abbreviated process helped relieve the workload.

Nevertheless, Hoo Justiniani denied replacing jail time with a fine, because the sentence was not less than 48 months' imprisonment, as established by the Penal Code.

Similarly, the judge rejected the request of community service because that benefit is when the penalty is less than five years.

The judge recommended that Vega study and work in the prison for a sentence reduction, according to the other options under the Penal Code.

He ordered the confiscation of the car and the return of otherpersonal property of the comedian.

It also took account of the year he had already served in prison for before sentencing.

Vega is 24 years old and of he serves his term   would come out in 2018,
ANONYMOUS TIP

The National Police , , were informed through anonymous calls that the Channel 2  comedian was to transport drugs to the border area of Chiriqui, and that he  would use a white, Nissan Tiida , At noon on January 27, 2013 , Vega was arrested on board the car described in the anonymous calls.  15 kilos of cocaine hidden in a false bottom below the driver's seat is found . And in another double bottom below the passenger’s seat, there were 11 kilos more .  tests confirmed it was  cocaine.