Two sides protest over court ruling

OVER 100  hundred protesters gathered at the Panama Municipal offices on Tuesday September 12.

They were voicing opinions for and against the occupation of the  Scala apartment complex in  the El Carmen district of Bella Vista.

In August the Supreme Court annulled two resolutions of environmental impact studies approved by the former  National Environmental Authority in 2009 and 2011.

The building is finished, and  purchasers  want  the authorities to give permission to occupy.

Neighbors say that it was built with “ irregular permits.”

Those who bought apartments in the building have been waiting to move in for two years.

“We want the court ruling enforced. The building cannot be occupied because it would be illegal.. We are victims of a corrupt system,” said Donaldo Sousa, attorney for the neighbors who oppose the occupation of the building.

Mayor Jose Isabel Blandon and city councilors were to have discussed whether or not to grant occupation but the protests led to the suspension of the meeting.

Court ruling
According to the court ruling  there was “undeniable inconsistency in the implementation of the covered work in a series of irregularities that led to the decision of the censured National Environmental Authority which  is declared invalid by illegal”.

Among the anomalies was  the fact that there was no citizen participation and  an environmental study has a duration of two years to begin the project.