Appeal claims judges “error of law”

ANTI-CORRUPTION prosecutor Zuleika Moore says that the decision  of Judge Lania Batista to refuse  a time extension for the investigation  of bribes paid by the Brazilian construction giant to high profile figures in Panama was an  “error of law”

The prosecutor’s comments are included in the appeal filed on Tuesday, Nov. 10 error of law asking the Second Court of Justice to revoke Judge Batista’s decision, which provoked demonstrations at the Supreme Court the National Assembly and on the streets in Panama and David over impunity fears.

Moore indicated that the judge committed the “error of law” when she denied the extension of the term of the investigation based on a Judicial Code article applicable to common causes – when since July 13, the process had been declared as complex, therefore, a law governing cases of organized crime was applicable.

The prosecutor also mentioned the significant number of defendants in the process (62) and the impossibility of making new inquiries due to the appeals lodged by the legal defenders as reasons for requesting the extension deadlines of the investigation.

In a letter sent to the magistrates of the Second Superior Court, the prosecutor recalled that, on June 6, the Twelfth Criminal qualified the investigation as a case of organized crime and that the processing procedure would be applied as complex.

By virtue of this request,  the court admitted the request of the prosecution and granted “an extension until the investigation is exhausted.”