Panama corruption prosecutors threatened

PANAMA  is locked in a cage of corruption with an organized crime structure involving the courts, banks, politicians and power brokers who operate with impunity while prosecutors are facing threats and intimidation.

The message comes from the country’s Attorney General, Kenia Porcell who addressed the nation on Tuesday,  August 29.

She denounced blocking of Public Ministry (MP) investigations of corruption and money laundering that run the risk of going unpunished.

“The investigations carried out by the Public Prosecutor’s Office on corruption and money laundering are complex and difficult. Not allowing prosecutors to complete their investigations is from our perspective,  impunity, and the Panamanian people do not deserve it, “said Porcell.

Threats, intimidation
She  reported that they are discovering “a structure of organized crime that took money from the Panamanian people. ” This has resulted in” prosecutors being threatened and intimidated. “

She  said that prosecutors have informed her that five of the “most emblematic” investigations, related to money laundering, may not be finished.

La Prensa reports that  judicial sources have confirmed , these are the investigations linked to Financial

Pacific (High Spirit account); The purchase of Epasa (New Business), Odebrecht-Switerland (bribes), the Tonosí irrigation scandal and Finmeccanica (radars).

‘There are economic, political, business, media and banking powers, trying to prevent the investigations being concluded, ” said Porcell.

“We only ask that we be allowed to investigate and that in a trial before the whole country the responsibility of the parties involved “in cases of high profile corruption” is proved.  she said.

Judicial actions
Referring to the actions taken by some judges and the judicial system she said that the decisions that “the courts take on nullifying investigations,   must never, never, never lead to or imply impunity. “

Therefore, “I have decided to inform the country, as representative of Panamanian society, by constitutional  mandate, of the weakness of  the administration of justice in Panama.”

Civil society organizations have asked Porcell to publicly name Groups or individuals who are lobbying or threatening prosecutors to prevent cases of high profile corruption being  criminally investigated and punished.

Hands tied
Annette Planells, leader of the Independent Movement (Movin), said: “The issue of corruption we are facing is not small, there are organized structures that have operated for years, government after government, and do not want to abandon what has been their way of doing  until  they leave.”

Planells said  that the role of the prosecutor is to take the cases forward, but judges do not want to declare the cases …Audiences are not fixed and those that are made are canceled by the most ridiculous excuses.

They have the ability to say that they must stop evading processes and finally there is the subject of habeas corpus that also dilates, “she said.

“The AG  is fighting corruption with her hands tied. I think it’s time to support the Public Ministry. ”  Freddy Pittí, of Juntos Decidimos, said that the AG should name the threatening individuals. “She cannot only mention that there are pressures, because it is something that we all know, “he said.

The ex-comptroller  Carlos Vallarino described the prosecutor as “brave”. “We must recognize the merits, and the team of professionals she leads in difficult times (…) never in the history of this country have there been so many investigations of theft, embezzlement,  and multimillion dollar injuries.

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