Court order issued for ex-tourism boss

AN ORDER to bring former tourism manager  Saloman Shamah to court has been issued by Twelfth Criminal Court Judge Lania Batista, following his repeated failures to appear for a criminal trial.

Shamah,  while boss of The Panama Tourism Authority (ATP), was believed to have been a key player in dirty tricks strategies for  the CD Party and ex-president Ricardo Martinelli.

He is charged with  alleged  embezzlement, resulting from the signing of a contract for the onstruction of a tourist berth in Rio de Jesus, in Veraguas.

Batista rejected an application against the order to bring him to court  filed by Hermes Quintero,

The ex-official did not attend several summonses to appear for investigation.

An audit report of the Comptroller General showed that  Building Services Corporation, which was awarded the contract to build the berth, had no experience  in this type of work,. The project was awarded by the ATP at a cost of $135,000.

The chances of him appearing in court are slim, as the Colombian born close confidant of Martinelli,who has been named in several corruption investigations was last seen parting in a Bogota disco.