Public Funds Used To Buy Voters
AN INVESTIGATION by La Prensa into multi-millions of tax-payer dollars used in elections led to the 3 ½ year audit of 186 communal boards where deputies skimmed off millions through a network – with the endorsement of the now deceased comptroller, Gioconda de Bianchini (died2016) a long time employee of Ricardo Martinelli.
They bought thousands of appliances delivered to their constituents, to secure re-election in May 2014.
The Attorney General’s Office initiated an investigation and requested an audit, the results of which were delivered Tuesday by the comptroller Federico Humbert.
Accountability
Leaders of organized civil society are demanding that all those involved are held accountable for the public monies they used.
A Decree signed by Comptroller Torres de Bianchini was the key that opened the tap for the waste of multi-millions of public funds, which were transferred by the deputies to the communal boards across the country.
A publication by La Prensa in February 2013 uncovered the document, which was never published in the Official Gazette, in order to keep secret the modus operandi of the deputies of the five-year period 2009-2014 managing funds that were not in the State general budget.
In spite of unconstitutionality accusations that followed. deputies in rural communities requested the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) to transfer funds, which were handled discreetly and without control.
The Boards received millions of dollars managed by the deputies – supposedly – for social works and public infrastructure.
The funds were diverted by the deputies to their constituencies and then spent on proselytizing campaigns reports La Prensa.
They bought appliances, food bags and articles that they gave to their constituents, in their eagerness to be reelected in May 2014. Half (39) succeeded, and still sit in the Assembly
InThe Municipality of Río de Jesús, the deputies deposited $8.2 million The Playa Leona Community Board received $6 million.
The local mayor, Humberto Sánchez, told La Prensa that the deputies asked him for help in the management of their games because he was “expert” in producing reports that “resisted audits”.
The reelected CD deputies Carlos Afú (who handled $1 million) and Nouriel Salerno ($2 million) got the most money transferred to Rio de Jesus.
Afú, who is a deputy from Las Tablas, and Salerno, from Aguadulce, were re-elected, but their triumphs were challenged by allegations of -precisely- campaigning with public funds.
The Electoral Tribunal (TE) verified that the allegations were true, and The TE considered that Afú violated the freedom and honesty of popular suffrage having at his disposal $4.9 million of state funds for his campaign.
Salerno, received $1, 562,331, which influenced the “purchase of voters” in (Aguadulce).
For the same reasons, the elections on circuits 4-1 and 9-2 were also canceled in which Miguel Fanovich -who handled $2.9 million- and Hector Aparicio participated.
REACTION
Lina Vega Abad, president of the Panamanian chapter of Transparency International, said the audits provide long-awaited information, although for some cases, such as crimes that would have been committed for the 2014 elections, are late. But she said that there are still several ways for those involved to be held accountable.
Annette Planells, of the Independent Movement, pointed out that audits are a challenge for the Public Ministry, which must invest human and financial resources to determine responsibilities, to give the Supreme Court the elements of conviction – if they find evidence against deputies – and request a trial for those responsible.
Meanwhile, Juan Diego Vásquez, of the Youth Network for Transparency, said that “the deputies should be accountable to the country … The Comptroller must act through the courts and they must be brought to trial when there is a property injury “.
