Panama’s Missing H-Beam Case is Back in the News
Discovery of 142 H-beams in Las Mañanitas in 2024. Prosecutor’s Office Analyzes Emails at the Ministry of Public Works.
For earlier stories that we wrote on the subject you can use the search button and type in H Beams. The Attorney General’s Office, through the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office, carried out an inspection and analysis of emails yesterday at the headquarters of the Ministry of Public Works (MOP), as part of the investigations related to the disappearance of 600 H-beams. The proceedings involved experts from the Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences (IMELCF) and defense lawyers. In this case, 17 people are charged, 13 for intentional embezzlement and 4 for negligent embezzlement, in addition to three sentenced to 60 months in prison.
According to the Attorney General’s Office, 378 beams have been recovered to date, in addition to compensation to the State. The beams, valued at over $3 million, were intended for repairs to the Bridge of the Americas. They were stored in a Ministry of Public Works (MOP) warehouse in Farfán, in the Arraiján district. A few days ago, the Minister of Public Works, José Luis Andrade, said that a third of the beams and several fragments had been recovered. He indicated that some of the recovered beams would be used for road infrastructure projects.
