MEDIA WATCH: Panamas corruption conundrum

A year ago, the US Department of Justice announced a judicial agreement with Odebrecht, in which the company pleaded guilty to paying bribes in Africa and America, including $59 million in Panama.

The recognized bribe went up to almost $90 million and, although the case is stuck in an appeal for breaking the Gordian knot imposed by Judge Lania Batista, judicial assistance and journalistic investigations

continue. Today we know that the ruling party received millions from Odebrecht, but the process to find out more is paralyzed in a court. On the other hand, the delaying tactics of the defenders impede the progress of the process and to this is added the complicity of judges and magistrates who with their failures – many based on mere formalities – they bury emblematic cases of corruption.

The worst thing is that, despite what we know, nothing is done to change things. The Public Contracting Law Public is still intact, and this allows corrupt companies to continue participating in bids. Already

we will see how deep they are entrenched with the biggest local corruption scandal, the Panama Lava Jato… LA PRENSA Dec.21