Movin seeks ruling party donation record

PANAMA’S Independent Movement (Movin)  is adding to the growing   cloud that hangs over the current administration, as it asks magistrates of the Electoral Tribunal (ET) to move to publish the record of donations received by the Panameñista Party from 2009 to date.

They also want  the list of donations received by  all candidates of Panameñista and the Popular Party (PP).that was part of  “The People First”  political alliance

Movin said  that the transparency exercise is due to recent denunciations by executives of the construction company Odebrecht, who admitted the payment of bribes to officials to “get preferential treatment in state contracts”.

In addition there are the recent statements of the former ambassador of Panama in South Korea, Jaime Lasso Del Castillo who confirmed to the Public Prosecutor’s Office on September 4, that he received money from André Rabello, representative of Odebrecht in Panama, for the electoral campaign of the Panameñista Party in 2009.

“From our perspective, political parties cannot continue developing under cover of the opacity in the handling of private funds that compromise the role that they are called to play in a  democracy. Political rights are human rights We have the right to know the information that is in the hands of the Electoral  Court ” said Movin.

According to the Electoral Code, candidates and political parties have an obligation to register all donations and present them to the TE.

Party president and deputy José Luis Varela said they will make the information public voluntarily, but “respecting the times for the legal process that follows “

In an investigation carried out by La Prensa, $6.5 million could be traced. through Poseidon Enterprises LLC., controlled by Lasso, between 2010 and 2013, from

the Odebrecht bribery department. Lasso, in addition, received another  700,000 from Odebrecht through the Don James Foundation.

In total, the party would have received $10 million, in the year 2009. according to what Lasso said in his declaration to prosecutors.