Court rejects probe of Assembly President, Comptroller

COMPLAINTS against the President of the National Assembly  Rubén De León,  and  Panama’s Comptroller  Federico Humbert over   irregularities  in “donations” by Assembly lawmakers  will not be  investigated by Panama’s Supreme Court following a  full plenary of the court

A complaint by Lawyer Ernesto Cedeño was rejected  “in a debate confined to the absence of adequate evidence, in the complaint” according to a press release from the Judicial Branch.

Judges Oydén Ortega, Jerónimo Mejía and Harry Díaz voted in favor of admission. Against: Cecilio

Cedalise (rapporteur), Abel Zamorano, Ángela Russo, Hernán De León and José AyúPrado

Luis Ramon Fábrega abstained.

In  a  complaint lodged by Lawyer Alexis Sinclair, seven judges voted against admission, two abstained.

The Political Constitution provides that deputies are investigated by magistrates, and vice versa.

Currently, in the Assembly there is a complaint against Ayú Prado, Fábrega and De León, For failing to implement the Judicial Career Law. The complaint has not yet been accepted by the Committee on Credentials, Rules of Procedure, Parliamentary Ethics and Judicial Affairs.

An investigation by La Prensa documented that, from July 2014 to March 3, 2017, the National Assembly paid $14 million in donations, most of which never reached the

During the same  period, contracts were concluded for

Professional services for up to $68 million for work never done.

A ruling of the Suoreme Court declared unconstitutional a decree issued last October by The Office of the Comptroller General of the Republic, to regulate the delivery of donations in the Assembly.

Judges  must still decide the future of a complaint made last week against 13 deputies (including Rubén De León), also over donations and contracts for professional services in the legislature. The  action was presented by Carlos Herrera Morán and Federico  Pittí.