Call for cooperation with US criminal probe

Leaders of civil society have asked Panamanian authorities to cooperate with the criminal investigation linked to  Mossack Fonseca that has been opened by the United States Department of Justice.

The investigation was prompted by the release of stories by media around the world that resulted from a leak of 11.5 million documents from the law firm.

Carlos Gasnell, executive chairman of Panama’s chapter of Transparency International, said that regardless of the local treatment given to the investigation, the authorities of the country have a responsibility to lend their collaboration to their counterparts from other countries to investigate irregular or criminal activities.

Former Comptroller Carlos Vallarino said the opening of processes in other countries was expected, due to the amount of evidence that is circulating internationally.

“This will lead any serious country to do an in-depth investigation,” he said.

He also questioned the position of the National Bar Association, which criticized last week’s raid  on the Mossack Fonseca offices.

“They must understand that justice is above all, even above the secrecy and confidentiality of a client,” he said.

Former Administration prosecutor Alma Montenegro de Fletcher said that Panama should use this opportunity to put some order into its  financial legislation.

“In this case we must find a legal solution, because Panama is not the first nor the last country that has been using legal facilities of the legislation that allows cyber transfer of financial operations” she said.