Suspect exits jail on false premise

A FORMER  governor of Cocle who owes millions to Panama’s social security system (CSS) was released from preventive detention because his lawyer convinced  a judge he has made payment arrangements.

But the  CSS says  there is no  payment arrangement with companies Petaquilla Gold, S.A. Panama, and Infrastructure Development, S.A., whose president and legal representative is Richard Fifer. Fifer was arrested in Colombia on February 27.

He is facing trial for retaining social security deductions from workers’, pay.

On Monday, August  22  Judge Herrera Albelis ordered his release from detention and substituted a ban on leaving the country.

The action was appealed by Sixth Anticorruption prosecutor Aurelio Vasquez.

Herrera judge based his decision on statements of Fifer’s lawyer Thomas Góndola lawyer Fifer, who said his client has a payment arrangement with the CSS.

Deputy Director of Legal Services of the CSS, Humberto Osorio said on Tuesday, August 23, at a press conference that he respects “but does not share”  the decision of the judge,

He added that the CSS will appeal the injunction, since no records certifying that the companies represented by Fifer have made payment arrangements ” are established for these cases.”

“It’s the power of  an executing judge to accept the payment arrangement and to date there is no such arrangement.

“Any employer is required to pay from 15% to 30% of the debt and given a period of 24 to 48 months to pay, but none  of the arrangements has been made  “said Osorio.