Former Governor and Petaquilla boss behind bars

THE FORMER governor of Cocle and ex-head of  Canadian owned  Petaquilla  Mines Richard Fifer,  is back in Panama  and in preventive detention awaiting trial  on multiple charges after being arrested in in Colombia to Panama on  a red alert for fraud.

He will be transferred on Saturday, Feb. 27, to Penonomé to face  three hearings within the adversarial criminal system for the illegal retention of social security contributions.

On Friday Fifer was taken to the first and sixth anticorruption prosecutors’ offices

He was then taken to the Directorate of Judicial Investigation (DIJ) to ensure transfer to Penonomé where he will face hearings and hearings on precautionary measures.

The Thirteenth Criminal Court that handles the trial for the crime of fraud must set a date for for the crime of aggravated fraud detriment of  Canadian company Gold Dragon Capital.

It was in this case that an Interpol  a red alert was issued , after Fifer ignored  subpoenas for the investigations..

The lawyer Ernesto Zappi, who filed the complaint for fraud against Fifer and Canadian Kenneth William Morgan, said that in this case because it is a scam of a million dollars to the detriment of Gold Dragon Capital it  is considered an  aggravated  offense and therefore he must remain in custody

He said the Penal Code fixed a penalty of five years imprisonment for the crime of aggravated fraud, so preventive detention must be applied.

Defense , lawyer Carlos Augusto Herrera, said his client voluntarily surrendered and is ready to be brought to trial  and should be released because the alleged crimes do not warrant detention.