Pessimism over hearings against top judge

PANAMA’S CHIEF magistrate Jose Ayu Prado, still has to face seven other allegations before  the National Assembly,redentials Committee, accused of allegedly committing crimes, including abuse of authority, usurpation of public functions, corruption of public servants, and embezzlement.

But, after the committee dismissed  eight other charges in short order last week,  there is doubt  that any complaints  will stick to the man appointed by Ricardo Martinelli to the post of Attorney General, where he allegedly interfered with a witness pointing fingers at Martinelli,  in the Financial Pacific scandal, and then to the Supreme Court

Ex-Judge  Alexis Ballesteros, has  denounced Prado  for allegedly exerting  pressure to rule in favor of Martinelli friends , says  he does not “expect anything” of the Committee,. because  deputies and judges have a mutual protection  “pact”.

Carlos Lee, of the  Citizens Alliance for Justice who  has  denounced Prado for embezzlement and excessive charging of travel expenses said the attitude of the deputies not to investigate earlieer complaints is  leaving a “very negative” message reports  La Prensa.

Ayu Prado, also faces   a complaint for alleged abuse of authority when he was Attorney General.

Union leader Mariano Mena, who argued that in 2014  Ayu Prado destroyed documents and research information in the case of hacking of then  Presidency Minister , Demetrio Papadimitriu.

Last week  the committee  dismissed eight petitions against Ayu Prado , filed by Judge Juan Domingo Ibarra, With eight votes in favor and one against.

Ballesteros claimed that he had been pressured to fail in three cases: the TRANSCARIBE Trading, S.A. (TCT) -owned by the Ochy brothers, close friends of Martinelli, by blocking Corporation La Prensa, S.A .; and another involving  Balbina Herrera over disseminating Martinelli  emails in which they spoke of spy  equipment purchases, and another involving a relative of Gabriel Btesh, a personal friend of Martinelli.

“After what has happened with other reports, I expect nothing of the Credentials Committee. …  I do not know if there is any agreement with the Assembly, but my expectation of the outcome of these complaints I presented with evidence, is not very high, ” Ballesteros told La Prensa on Friday, March 18.

Another case  is for the alleged crime of embezzlement after a complaint from Citizens Alliance for Justice which also includes Judges  De Leon and Fabrega, for travel abroad and  charging “excessive expenses.” Carlos Lee Alliance director, , says  that travel and expense records revealed that judges were in two countries simultaneously, which generates “suspicion”.

Lee says he hopes that MPs will give a “clear” message that there is a will to fulfill their  mandate to investigate judges.

Two other cases are related to an investigation of a corruption network that operated in the  that received  money in exchange for the  release to defendants in court cases. A  complaint filed by lawyer Celma Moncada, accuses Ayu Prado of  “interference” in matters of Public Prosecutions.

A case presented by Luis Alfonso Romero Chatru, also includes Harry Diaz,  is supported by a TV  interview by Diaz, which confirmed the existence of political factions in the court, when  he spoke of corruption and exposed the interference of the executive in the judiciary during the Martinelli era.

The chairman of the Credentials Committee, Panameñista  Jorge Ivan Arrocha said:  “There is a commitment of the deputies to analyze and deal with each of the cases” He said that   copies of each of the records  had been distributed to  members of the commission to seek advice from their lawyers and then make a decision.