Lawyer plays down case against Waked

A LAWYER, for embattled businessman Abdul Waked, on Monday, May 9, downplayed  the US Treasury Department and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)  information that led to the placing of 9 executives and 68 companies on the Clinton List of those identified with links  to money laundering and drug trafficking..

The action prohibits any US citizen or organization from doing business with listed firms and individuals,

Guillermina McDonald   unveiled details of the investigation opened by Panama’s Public Prosecutor’s Office after the inclusion of her client’s companies on the List

“The record only contains  a series of documents taken from the internet and secretarial report. There is no due diligence being made, only a couple of notes sent to verify the existence of the companies,” said McDonald after reviewing the record.

“The record does not have any original documents or authenticated copies,” she said. “Panama has an obligation to do its own research. It cannot, under any circumstances, have an investigation made by another country for events that occurred in Panama.”

“Mr. Abdul Waked is working. All his companies are open. He has not shut down any company. He is trying to ensure the employment of all his partners said McDonald.

She made no mention of the suspension of a Waked owned bank or cancelation of Stock Exchange listings, or the inability of the group’s businesses and retail outlets to accept credit ad debit cards.