32 corrupt cops fired this year
THREE OFFICERS involved in the prison corruption scandal were fired from the National Police(PN) after an internal hearing on Friday August 12, bringing the total thrown out of the force so far this year or corruption and disciplinary offences to 32.
The figures come from the PN’s own statistics reports La Prensa.
The three ejected Friday were a Captain, a Lieutenant and a sergeant, allegedly linked to the criminal network detected in the prison system that was dedicated to disrupting criminal sentences, falsifying freedom tickets and scamming relatives of inmates, as confirmed by Police chief, Omar Pinzon.
The previous police chief is not included in the stats, but is behind bars awaiting trial for his role in the Martinelli era spying scandal.
Figures from the Office of Professional Responsibility (DRP) show that between July 2014 and June 2016 have opened 1,996 investigations were initiated against members of the National Police for alleged irregularities, which has resulted in 175 dismissals of officers of different ranks. 12 of the cases were related to drug trafficking.
“.Members of the National Police must be clear in its principles of integrity and how not to affect the image of the institution ” said DRP Director Olmedo Moreno.
Regarding the 12 cases linked to drug trafficking, Moreno said they worked in coordination with drug. Posecutors For example, he mentioned the case in which was implied a deputy commissioner of the PN in a shootout on Martin Sosa Avenue in the capital. The incident occurred in October 2015.
Moreno also recalled the operation in a drug trafficking network was dismantled in Panama this year , where it was found that four mmbers the National Police were involved: two captains, a sergeant and an officerl. The incident occurred in March 2015.
In April, the United States Department of State, in a report, stressed that the institutions of security and justice in Panama remain susceptible to corruption and drug trafficking.
In addition, they made it clear the difficulties of the police to prosecute crimes of money laundering, as well as complex financial crimes. That same month, President of, Juan Carlos Varela, announced the formation of the Anti-Corruption Agency Group (GIA), , is to promote action against corruption, organized crime and in law enforcement agencies. The GIA is under the umbrella of the National Security Council, and is coordinated by Bolivar Medina Dominguez, who was appointed to the post in July.
Minister of Public Security, Alexis Bethancourt Yau, said the GIA played an important role in dismantling the network operating alleged corruption in the prison system.
The minister added that the GIA was informed what was happening in the country’s prisons, and its human resources supported the Public Ministry and the Justice Department.