Defense says tax theft “incredible story”

Panama’s Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office has called for the conviction of the former head of the tax collection authority (DGI) and five others for alleged embezzlement, and corruption of public servants in the Cobranzas del Istmo (CiSA) case.

Luis Cucalón, former chief of the Directorate General of Revenue gained notoriety by spending for two years in preventive detention regardless of cost in the Punta Pacifica  Hospital. Cisa was hired to collect back taxes, and its owner Cristóbal Salerno had testified that he delivered suitcases stuffed with cash to then president Ricardo Martinelli.

Cucalón was taken under heavy security from the El Renacer Prison to the First Criminal Court of Panama on Thursday, July 5.

Salerno had earlier been sentenced to 48 months in prison for but the penalty

was replaced with 500 days fine, at the rate of $600 per day or $300,000 in total, payable in four months. He was recently granted an extension of time to pay

At the end of the hearing, the anticorruption prosecutor Adecio Mojica said that “it is fully verified that there were agreements of wills to embezzle and commit an act of corruption. “

The prosecutor stressed that the  file was “well processed” by the prosecution, where “ the illicit situations  came to light ” in the hiring the company CiSA for the collection of delinquent taxes Mojica said that in this case it was found that agreements of wills were made “to take an economic advantage “where CiSA had to collect arrears.”

Cucalón’s lawyer, Edwin Teira, said that there was lack of evidence on the part of the prosecution to “continue supporting an incredible story” against his client  “when Cristóbal Salerno has confessed he stole the money “

The judge will deliver his ruling in 30 days.