Panama Supreme Court judge remains under house arrest

THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY Judges Of Guarantees on Tuesday, December 9 ratified the house arrest of suspended Supreme Court Judge Alejandro Moncada Luna and continued the freezing of five bank accounts and deposits of $1.3 million.

Deputy Pedro Miguel Gonzalez, the prosecutor appointed by the National Assembly, Gonzalez asked for two more months for further investigation. The investigation is into alleged crimes of unjustified enrichment, money laundering, official corruption and false documents..
Gonzalez requested the original document supporting the alleged $1.8 million interest free loan made by businessman Felipe “Pipo” Virzi to the judge
According to Gonzalez, who was granted an extension to continue research-, the frozen accounts are linked to Moncada Luna . He said that during an inspection of videos, at Banco Genersl on December found that a person used a debit card to withdraw money from an ATM in a mall. The card is linked to one of the companies linked to Moncada Luna.
According to Gonzalez, the person who withdrew the money had similar physical characteristics to Moncada Luna, so he asked the judges of guarantees authorization for forensic technicians of the Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences determine if it is him.
During the hearing held in the Blue Room of the Assembly, González also revealed that on December 5 he ordered the seizure of 10 accounts that would be related to the four of Universal Bank accounts already seized.
He said it was found that there were “movements in different directions of Moncada Luna, accounts making money”
The deputy prosecutor also asked permission for the telecommunications company Cable & Wireless to provide call history between Moncada Luna and businessman Virzi and of witnesses who signed the loan agreement. In addition, calls made by the then 10th now 12th notary Ricardo Landeros, when the original document on the loan was presented. He has also asked for, the history of calls made from the telephone numbers of from December 1, 2012 to January 31, 2013, and September 30, 2014 to November 11, 2014, “the day when the document was presented to this office.”
On January 8, 2013 the loan allegedly made Virzi to the suspended judge would have been signed .At that the time he was president of the Supreme Court. According to Moncada Luna, Virzi lent $700,000 to purchase an apartment for cash Coco del Mar. Virzi, meanwhile, said last week that the disbursements were up to $ 1.8 million.
Gonzalez has asked for original copies of the loan document, as he found no evidence from notaries who were visited as part of the investigation procedures. He said that once he has the original document it will be tested by “international experts” to confirm the day it was made, “if necessary”.

Moncada Luna, was at the hearing, along with his lawyers. Although he was quiet most of the time, he took the floor to reject the proposals of the prosecutor.

“These are serious unfounded allegations…” he told the deputies and judges of guarantees Ana Matilde Gómez, Katleen Levy and Zulay Rodríguez.
“I feel that [the prosecutor] is falling into falsehood. There may be a connection [with bills] but he is accusing me. I ask you not to be surprised. He accuses me and I will rely to all” he said.