Prosecution gets more time in overcharge probe

THE SPECIAL Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office has been given a 12 month’s extension to continue the investigation related to supposed multi-million dollar surcharges in the improvement and widening of the Domingo road during in the past government by the consortium of Ingenieros Civiles y Asociados, S.A. (ICA) and Constructora Meco, S.A.

In a ruling dated Oct 5, Judge Leslie Loaiza, accepted the request of the prosecution and granted the extension, “because they are vital proceedings which requires a reasonable amount of time for their response.

“… It should be remembered that the purpose of the criminal process is to investigate crimes, discover and judge their authors and participants,” said Judge Loaiza in granting the extension.

The file originated from a complaint filed by the Comptroller of the Republic, Federico Humbert, who on April 26 handed over to the Public Prosecutor’s Office the result of five audits on projects carried out in the previous administration, including expansion of Domingo Díaz.

Humbert, also , provided the result of audits on the works of the corridor Via Brazil-stretch I and the corridor Via Brazil-stretch II, by the construction company FCC; preservation of the historical heritage of Panama City and the Cinta Costrera phase 3, carried out by Odebrecht.

The Comptroller’s Office stated that, in total, a possible surplus of $ 318 million projects, all of which took place from the outset in the Ministry of Public Works (MOP).

According to a  Comptroller’s Office press release, all tenders for these projects were held when Federico Suárez served as Minister.The case of the alleged surcharge on the expansion of Domingo Díaz are in charge of prosecutor Ruth Morcillo and so far there are no persons charged since the case is in the summary phase.

The work, which began with great fanfare on May 2, 2012, had a final cost of $237.5 million, although its reasonable price was estimated at $ 190.1 million, so there is some  $47.3 million in possible overpricing, the audit said.

The work included the expansion of the four- to six-lane road and the construction of three  vehicle bridges five pedestrian bridges; the widening of the bridges over the rivers

Matías Hernández, Juan Diaz and Tapia, and the extension of the bridge on Ave José Agustín Arango. Everything was scheduled to be completed in 36 months.

In August 2012, Suárez left the MOP and the portfolio was taken over by Jaime Ford. By May 2013, Ford announced that work would be completed on July 14, 2014.

A few days after the May 2014 elections, Carlos Ho, then director of MOP Special Projects indicated that the  Domingo Diaz Avenue project and others

complementary works were  74% complete. The work was finished in 2015.