7-year mystery disappearance of man who exposed  corrupt brokerage

Saturday, November 16 marked seven years since Vernon Ramos, the former Deputy Director of Audit of the Superintendence of the Securities Market  (SMV) walked out of his home in Chanis  between 1.30 and 2 p.m.  wearing shorts and tee-shirt and disappeared

He was investigating an   alleged $12 million embezzlement at the Financial Pacific (FP) securities brokerage which became the center of multiple probes into the activities of high rolling figures with close ties to  the Martinelli administration

The status of the investigation remains the same, without any new element that could indicate the whereabouts or what happened to Ramos. This case is carried out by the First Prosecutor’s Office against Organized Crime, which keeps the file open because it has no solution and was declared a crime against humanity reports La Prensa.

At least five prosecutors have handled the case: Marcelino Aguilar, Roberto Moreno, Nathaniel Murgas, Rafael Baloyes, and David Mendoza.

Since FP was intervened on October 16, 2012, by the Superintendence of the Stock Market (SMV), the case was shrouded in accusations and controversial information with many believing Ramos was murdered.

In the first investigation, , Mayte Pellegrini, the main defendant for the embezzlement, said that in FP there was an account called High Spirit belonging to former President  Ricardo Martinelli (2009-2014) and that it was used to manipulate the stock market with the shares of the Petaquilla mining company.

By that date, Ramos, , was investigating FP, but disappeared six days before Pellegrini made the confession before the Thirteenth Circuit Prosecutor. She later claimed that her High Spirit statement was changed by then-Attorney General, Ayu Prado who was later appointed to the Supreme Court by Martinelli.

Another incident that makes the mystery read like a whodunnit arose when  Gustavo Gordón, an SMV official and who had worked with Ramos, was stabbed in June 2014 at Urracá Park, in Bella Vista when he to testify before the Thirteenth Prosecutor in the investigation followed by Pellegrini.

Ramos also integrated the team that reviewed alleged anomalies in the Interbolsa Panama stock exchange, after Colombian authorities ordered the closing of the parent company.