Prosecutor asks 7 years jail for ex-governor

MOVES BY lawyers for former Coclé Governor Richard Fifer to evade trial were rejected on Wednesday September 14, and the prosecutor is calling for a seven year sentence.

He is charged with allegedly failing to pay required Social Security fees on behalf of the workers of the mining company Petaquilla Gold.

Judge María Isabel Pedreshi  set the trial for Nov. 29.

Sixth Anti-Corruption Prosecutor Aurelio Vásquez has requested a sentence of seven years, and  asked the judge to continue the order for Fifer to remain in the country.

Vásquez   said there are 24 witnesses in the case and a substantial amount of records that will be introduced into evidence.

Defense attorneys presented two motions, one to dismiss the charge and another to suspend the hearing.

The lawyers made the argument that Fifer was not the head of the company when the payments were supposed to be made, which was  October 2013 to January 2015.

Lawyer Tomás Gondola said that the defendant was seeking a suspension in the case so he could arrange payments to Social Security.

Representatives of Social Security testified at the hearing that no arrangements for repayment have been made by Fifer.

Both motions were rejected.