4 Treasurers of Community Boards and a Former Representative of Ponuga Arrested
Ponuga is a rural corregimiento (administrative township) located in the Santiago District of the Veraguas Province in Panama. It is primarily known as an agricultural and cattle-farming community, with surrounding areas featuring streams (Río Ponuga) and nearby coastal landforms like Isla de Ponuga. A former representative of Ponuga, who held the position during the periods 2009-2014, 2014-2019 and 2019-2024, and four treasurers of community boards in the province of Veraguas were arrested for their alleged involvement in the crime of aggravated embezzlement, to the detriment of the State, for an approximate amount of $1,471,640.75.
According to the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the arrests were made through Operation “Clear Fund,” developed by the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office of the Attorney General’s Office, in conjunction with the National Police, during judicial proceedings in the provinces of Veraguas, Herrera and Darién. According to the investigations, the irregularities would be related to the issuance of checks for the purchase of construction materials intended for housing improvement projects, social assistance donations and services provided, whose disbursements allegedly do not have the documentation that supports them. The detainees will be presented before a judge of guarantees for the corresponding requests by the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
Three Officials and Two Former Officials Arrested for Alleged Embezzlement
The officials were arrested for the alleged crime of embezzlement during several operations in Veraguas, Herrera and Darién. Five people were arrested for the alleged crime of embezzlement during several operations of Operation Clear Fund, carried out in the provinces of Veraguas, Herrera and Darién by the Attorney General’s Office and the National Police. Among those under investigation are three current and two former officials. The group includes a former representative of the Ponuga district (during the periods 2009-2014, 2014-2019, and 2019-2024) and four treasurers of community boards in the province of Veraguas. The investigation relates to irregularities detected in the issuance of checks intended for the purchase of construction materials for home improvements, donations, and services rendered. The financial loss to the State is estimated at $1,471,640.75.
