Trump group challenges Panama hotel seizure
THE TRUMP name has been removed from the Panama hotel complex, that it once managed, but the New York-based Trump organization claims that the move was illegal and is challenging a court decision that allowed the “kidnapping.”
The Trump Panama Hotel Management company has filed an appeal filed before the second civil circuit judge, Miriam Yadira Cheng, warning of “possible procedural fraud and abuse of right “in the precautionary
This is the latest move in the bitter legal battle between the company of Donald Trump, operator of the hotel, with the owner of the infrastructure, Cypriot businessman Orestes Fintiklis and his Ithaca Capital company.
On March 5, after a court action by Fintiklis, the second civil circuit court carried out a kidnapping proceeding that stripped Trump Panama Hotel Management from its role running the hotel, which had a 30 percent occupancy rate. The same day, a worker removed the word “Trump” from the sign at the entrance of the hotel. and on March 9 Fintiklis announced that the resort would be renamed The Bahia Grand Panama.
In the first days after the takeover, the hotel did not accept reservations, but it is already
marketing on internet portals with the new brand and reservations were enabled again reports La Prensa.
Trump organization lawyers contend that “there are serious or abusive actions or omissions by the judicial administrator that ostensibly violate the legal system “.
They charge the judicial administrator, José Ángel Hidrogo, for having allowed the hotel to change its name.
“These actions or omissions violate the faculties and duties of the judicial administrator established in the law that oblige it to follow the current administration system “, says the Trump company.
They claim that the administrator would be in breach of the administration contract hotel company signed in 2011 by Trump Panama Hotel Management and Newland International Properties – original owner of the complex – that would be valid until 2031.
Last year, Newland International Properties sold 202 rooms and 13 zones to Fintiklis, who, along with other owners, blamed Trump Hotels for a weak performance and sought its exit.
In October 2017, the company led by Fintiklis initiated an international arbitration process requesting the declaration of termination of the contract.
The Trump company claims that the precautionary measure of kidnapping and civil action are based on several articles of the Administrative Code that were repealed in 2016.
