Facing 13 complaints, chief justice named goodwill ambassador

PANAMA’S CHIEF JUSTICE, Jose Ayu Prado, with 13 outstanding complaints against him in the hands of  the Credentials Committee of the National Assembly for allegedly committing various crimes, has been named a goodwill ambassador to an OAS conference.

Next on the list of complaints is Harry Diaz with  9  which came in January  after , his revelations  and denunciations on corruption in the justice system and interference of Executive in the Judiciary during the  Ricardo Martinelli  administration.

At least seven of the nine principal magistrates of the Supreme Court of made  allegations against him before the Credentials Committee, .for allegedly committing various crimes.

Up to , February 3 there are 19 cases against judges of the Supreme Court Court  awaiting resolution. Five of these were filed by attorney David Sitton, on behalf of Judge Juan Domingo Ibarra, against Jose Ayu Prado, and were joined in a single process reviewed by Deputy Zulay Rodríguez.

Two other complaints filed by Judge Juan Domingo Ibarra in December 2015 remain as separate cases and two others filed in January  by the same judge, have not yet been admitted.

Ayu Prado was re-elected president of the Supreme Court In January amidst criticism from civil society.

Among the  complaints against him is one  brought by union leader Mariano Mena that in 2011  when he was  Attorney General Ayu Prado    allegedly ordered the destruction of documents and research information in the case of email hacking of  then Minister of the Presidency, Demetrio Papadimitriu.

The other five complaints against Ayu Prado were presented from January 18 to 27 days after the statements of Judge Harry Diaz on corruption, political camps in the judiciary  and the interference of the executive in the judiciary, during the Martinelli administration Martinelli (2009-2014).

The first formal complaint against Ayu Prado after the statements of Diaz was by  lawyer Rolando Sánchez Núñez, accusing him  of allegedly devising , along with ex-Tourism Administrator Salomon Shamah, a formula to disguise  wiretaps of opponents by  the National Security Council during the previous administration.

Amidst the complaints about his actions, Ayu Prado will be honored as Goodwill Ambassador  at an  Environmental Justice conference of the Organization of American States (OAS) on  February 12.

Meanwhile, Judge Harry Diaz trails    Ayu Prado with nine complaints before the Credentials Committee. Four were filed before his statements on corruption in the judiciary. The remaining five were raised afterwards.

T he judges mentioned by Diaz during his revelations  Ayu Prado, Hernan De Leon and Luis Ramon Fabrega denounced him for alleged “failure to ensure transparency and integrity in the judicial administration.”

Former deputy minister of the Presidency Maria Fabrega, representing her brother, Luis Ramon Fabrega, filed a complaint on for defamation and violation of the rules of the judiciary.