Judge’s son moves from jail  to house arrest

An  appeals court granted the precautionary measure of house arrest to the son of  Supreme Court Judge Cecilio Cedalise.  The 30-year-old  was arrested in Arraiján for carrying a firearm without permission, a crime that carries a sentence of 8-10 years behind bars.

Judicial sources confirmed that at a hearing held on December 11, the Superior Court of Appeals revoked the measure of preventive detention  for,  applied by a judge of guarantees of the Arraiján Criminal Accusatory System.

Judge Cedalise’s son must also report to the authorities on the 15th and 30th of each month. In addition, the prohibition of approaching the Municipality of Arraiján was applied.

Cedalise’s arrest came after a citizen’s call alerted National Police units that the man had threatened a security guard at the Transit Office of the Municipality of Arraiján, in the province of Panama Oeste.

According to article No. 333 of the Criminal Code, a person who possesses a firearm without proper authorization will be punished with a penalty of eight to ten years in prison.

Meanwhile, the Public Ministry is carrying out investigations to establish the origin of the firearm, which was sent by the Criminalistics Directorate for several ballistic tests.