Visits restricted for photo-op detainees

SOME of the smiles may have disappeared from the faces of  a gang of high profile detainees at the El Renacer prison whose faces recently appeared in photos circulating on social networks and who now have restricted visitor rights.

The photos showed the group taking the sun in the “redemption” center like high schoolers at a summer camp. Among them are former big-timers facing corruption and embezzlement charges amounting to scores of millions of dollars with little sign of redemption in their faces, as highly paid legal teams battle to save them from potential long terms in the place they now know as home.

The of Government, Carlos Rubio, confirmed on  Wednesday, November 15 that after the photos  appeared   a search  for cell phones  was carried out in the center

He did not specify which detainees were found with phones or if they were linked to the photographs of the ex-employees of the Martinelli administration but did reveal that disciplinary measures were taken.

A source of the entity confirmed that the measure was the suspension of visits. Rubio said: “I want to reiterate the commitment of the Ministry of Government that these things will not be allowed here or in any jail in the country, “

On October 28,  two circulating photographs showed :

The former director of Supervision of the Securities Market Superintendence, Ignacio Fábrega; the former director of the National Police, Gustavo Pérez; the former Minister of Public Works, Jaime Ford; the ex-partner of  Financial Pacific, West Valdés; former Vice President Felipe Virzi; the manager of Transcaribe Trading S.A., Daniel Ochy; the former finance minister Frank De Lima and the former director of the General Directorate of Income, Luis Cucalón.

After their disclosure, the Government Ministry announced an investigation to determine the origin of the two photographs. The investigation is ongoing