$150,000 bail for suspect in PAN corruption cases
A PANAMA businessman facing corruption charges in at lest two different cases related to the National Assistance Program (PAN), has been granted bail of $150,000 in one of them.
The decision is related to an investigation of Roberto Carreytro carried out by the Third AntiCorruption Prosecutor’s Office, which seeks to determine whether the purchase of 445 waste collection tanks by the stategarbage agency AAUD through the PAN for $534,000 contained any irregularities.
In the ruling, Judge Nixela Aizprúa argued, that the amount of the bond was set taking into consideration the nature of the crime and the defendant’s financial situation.
The judge ruled that Carreyero has business interests in Panama that would make it difficult for him to leave the country. There is also little danger that he will seek to block the investigation if he is released.
Aizprúa also points out that Carretero is one of the administrators of the company Proveedor General de Abastos, a company that bought the tanks for $29,000 and then sold them to the PAN “with an obvious inflated markup.”
Carretero is also being investigated for possible irregularities in the purchase of school backpacks by the PAN and other issues related to the social development program.
