Easing of corruption jailing, tougher for COVID-19 offenders

Alleged  corruption offenders in preventive detention awaiting trial may benefit  from a draft law  intended  to reduce  Panama’s prison population during the COVID-19 pandemic

On  Tuesday, April 21 The Government Committee of the National Assembly approved in the first debate,  a draft law, which would allow detainees to request a replacement of the precautionary measure with a less serious one if they have already spent 6 months behind bars and are not serving previous sentences.

It would apply to crimes like larceny, fraud, money laundering smuggling, and customs fraud, Crimes against Intellectual property, crimes against the administration of justice, crimes against the environment, and all crimes that according to to the penal code have a minimum sentence of four years in prison.

Excluded are  those charged with crimes against life and personal integrity robbery, kidnapping, extortion, crimes against individual freedom,  crimes against sexual freedom, domestic violence,  child  and family abuse  trafficking of minors, offenses against collective security public health, and offenses related to drugs, piracy, organized Crime, and  Illicit association, possession and Traffic of weapons and explosives,

The draft law also modifies the Penal Code, with 10-year prison terms for acts of vandalism or hinder the work of medical personnel, the public force and volunteers who are carrying out sanitary and humanitarian tasks to prevent the spread of COVID-19.