Ex-Immigration boss grilled on illegal CD call center

THE INTERROGATION of the former director of the National Immigration Service for her role in an illegal government funded CD call center during the last election, began on Monday July 18.

Maria Cristina Gonzalez was driven from her home in upscale  Brisas del Golf to the office of  the second Anticorruption Prosecutor in the  Avesa building on Via Espana. to be inquired into in the case of call center.

Gonzalez is accused of allegedly committing crimes against public administration, specifically influence peddling, embezzlement and fraud.

On July 13 the Second Superior Court denied an application by Gonzalez not to be arrested for this case.

The case broke in the midst of the 2014  election campaign when Giancarlo Teran said that while he was working in the call center it was funded by the National Assembly . It was  supposedly run by the former head of Migration and the ex-vice minister  Internal Trade, and current spin doctor for former president Ricardo Martinelli and the CD party,  Luis Eduardo Camacho.   Former tourism manager and CD dirty tricks Svengali Salomon Shamah was also linked to the illegal center operating from a building on Avenida Balboa.