Panama calls for US help in Waked money laundering probe

PANAMA  has  asked the United States  for judicial assistance as prosecutor’s prepare to investigate the Waked Group  for alleged links to a network of drug trafficking and money laundering.

GroupProsecutor Markel Mora confirmed that he has requested the US Justice Department, to provide all the information it has related to the companies.

That information was confirmed Thursday, May 19 by Attorney General Kenia Porcell, reports La Prensa.

The prosecutor said that local authorities “have very scarce information” in the  case. An investigation was opened May 5 when the U.S. government announced that 68 companies related to the Waked Group had been placed on the Clinton list for their ties to drug trafficking.

Nidal Waked has been arrested in Colombia and is awaiting extradition to the U.S., where the prosecution has called for jail sentences that could see him spending the rest of his life behind bars.

Abdul Waked and other seven executives of the Waked Group were also placed  on the Clinton list.

Wakws companies have been hard hit as they can no longer accept credit cards, and that has impacted Tocumen International where previously Waked duty free outlets provided seven percent of the airport’s revenue,

President Juan Carlos Varela said Thursday that “it  is very hard work to get licenses” for Waked businesses  to continue to operate..The U.S. government has granted temporary licenses to several entities, including La Estrella and El Siglo newspapers, so they can conclude their business connections with U.S. entities by Jul6.

“We hope is to expedite the processes of documents that must be prepared so that we can move forward in  getting to be able to normalize the situation, and thus protect jobs,” said Varela.