Assembly president faces audit block criminal complaint for audit block

Panama’s Comptroller General, Federico Humbert, has  filed a criminal complaint against the president of the National Assembly, Yanibel Ábrego, for her actions in blocking an audit of lawmaker expenses,

In his criminal action in the Supreme Court. which handles cases involving elected deputies,  Humbert accuses Ábrego of the alleged commission of an offense against the public service administration public service to the detriment of the Comptroller’s Office diligence on May 15. That same day, Ábrego had filed an amparo of guarantees against the audit of the Comptroller’s Office.

The Comptroller ‘s complaint says that  Ábrego “caused serious damage to the Comptroller’s Office “by preventing the auditors complying with the constitutional function of carrying out investigations to determine the  correction or incorrectness of operations that affect the public heritage.”

Unbowed Abrego responded that the action of the Comptroller is part of the same strategy of the Executive to “press” the Legislature

The Comptroller General says that the resolution of   May 15 ordering the audit of form 080 of the National Assembly, ” did not require notification to Yanibel Ábrego.

On Wednesday, May 16  a group of officials of the Comptroller’s Office, accompanied by the director of the National Forensic Investigation and Audit Committee, Lastenia Domingo, went to the Assembly to notify Ábrego of the decision adopted by Humbert.

However, she said that she would not accept the resolution,  as it did not have an “authorization” of the Supreme Court and for that reason, the diligence could not be carried out.

Subsequently, it was learned that the same day, Ábrego filed an amparo of constitutional guarantees, against the resolution that ordered the audit. reports La Prensa.

According to the action presented by Humbert, Ábrego violated Article 81 of the Organic Law of Office of the Comptroller, which orders public servants to cooperate with what the entity requests for the fulfillment of its attributions.

The complaint states that “there is no reason or legal basis that protects the refusal  “of Ábrego to collaborate with the audit, whose purpose was to determine the correctness  or impropriety of  the management of resources assigned to the financing of expenses.”