OPINION: Theft in the guise of sport

The scandal of the donations that Pandeportes sent to different organizations has entered a new phase.

The Public Ministry undertook a preliminary investigation to validate the deviation of some 9 million dollars that should have been used for the purchase of sports equipment and other related activities.

 As this newspaper has already published, the fate of these funds passed through the hands of deputies and other senior officials of the National Assembly. Although on July 1, several of the alleged implicated will lose their seats, the truth is that the Supreme Court of Justice will have to assume the investigation of deputies in office.

The prosecution was able to verify 17 locations supposedly beneficiaries of the state financing, without finding any trace of donation in any of them.  What the sport and the Panamanian athletes have suffered for this outrage is a tragedy. The new administration can amend this by demanding responsibilities from the politicians of its own party, and thus demonstrate that its code of honor and its fight against corruption are true: forbidden to lie, steal and betray the country and Panamanians – LA PRENSA, May 24.