The Arraignment Hearing Has Been Rescheduled with a New Date for Former Panama Vice President José Gabriel Carrizo.
Carrizo’s arraignment hearing has been rescheduled for October 13. The former vice president faces charges of alleged illicit enrichment.
The indictment hearing against the former Vice President of the Republic, José Gabriel “Gaby” Carrizo was rescheduled for October 13, after the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office requested the suspension of the proceedings. Carrizo had been transferred this Monday, September 7, to the Accusatory Criminal System, located in Plaza Ágora, to participate in the indictment hearing within the process that is being carried out against him for the alleged commission of the crime of aggravated unjustified enrichment. Carrizo’s lawyer, Pedro Meilán, confirmed that the hearing was suspended and that a new date was set to continue the process.
Why Was Carrizo’s Hearing Rescheduled?
According to the defense, the suspension of the hearing occurred at the request of the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office. The hearing corresponds to the intermediate phase of the process, in which the Public Prosecutor must formally support its accusation and present the evidence it intends to use, while the defense has the opportunity to challenge the allegations and announce its own evidence. The Prosecutor’s Office maintains that Carrizo allegedly registered an unjustified increase in assets of approximately $1.9 million, based on an investigation originating from a report by the Comptroller General of the Republic.
The New Date is October 13.
With Monday’s postponement, the arraignment hearing is now scheduled for October 13, 2026. Carrizo remains under house arrest while the legal proceedings continue.
What will Happen on September 23rd?
At this point, it is important to distinguish between the two proceedings. September 23rd does not correspond to Carrizo’s new arraignment hearing. That date is for the hearing to review the appeal filed by the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office against the decision that rejected the seizure of the former vice president’s apartment in Costa del Este. The hearing was scheduled for 2:00 pm in courtroom number 2 of the Accusatory Criminal System. Judge Karolina Santamaría had rejected the request related to the property on Friday, September 4, considering that it did not meet the conditions established in Article 351 of the Penal Code. The defense, for its part, maintains that the apartment was acquired before Carrizo held public office.
What is José Gabriel Carrizo Accused of?
The Public Prosecutor’s Office is investigating Carrizo for the alleged commission of the crime of aggravated unjustified enrichment, as a result of an alleged increase in assets calculated at around $1.9 million. The indictment was issued in January 2026 and the case subsequently advanced to the intermediate phase, after the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s investigation stage concluded. The arraignment hearing will determine whether the procedural conditions exist for the case to proceed to a possible trial. This hearing does not, in itself, determine the guilt or innocence of the former vice president.
Gaby Carrizo’s Arraignment Hearing is Suspended Until the Conflict Over a Luxury Apartment in Costa del Este is Resolved.
The indictment hearing for former Vice President of the Republic, José Gabriel Gaby Carrizo, scheduled for this Monday, September 7, was suspended. Judge Didia Ruiz adopted the decision until the appeal filed by the Public Ministry last Friday against a decision to suspend the precautionary measures that weighed on the apartment where Carrizo resides is resolved. This Monday, lawyer Carlos Carrillo appeared with a request to be recognized as part of the process against Carrizo for alleged unjust enrichment. Carrillo stated that he represents Nano Properties, whose legal representative is Julieta Spiegel, the former vice president’s wife. Nano Properties owns the apartment in the Marea building that was seized.
Carrillo said that in the indictment the prosecution requested the seizure of the apartment, so he filed a document to participate in the hearing and represent the rights of his clients. However, anti-corruption prosecutor Patricia Herrera revealed that her office filed an appeal against a decision issued last Friday by another judge who decided to suspend the seizure of the apartment. The appeal that decides whether the apartment remains under seal or is formally released will take place on September 13.
Whether or not Carrizo participates in the indictment hearing will depend on what happens on September 13, since if the decision to suspend the precautionary measures that weighed on the apartment is maintained, Carrillo’s claim would cease to exist. Earlier, Carrizo—who is under house arrest—arrived at the offices of the First Judicial District, escorted and handcuffed by police officers. When he saw the media, he paused briefly to allow them to take photographs and videos of him. At the arraignment hearing, the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office planned to present more than 70 pieces of evidence to support its case.
These included audit reports, expert testimony, witness statements, and documentary evidence. Carrizo’s defense team also has a similar amount of evidence to present, including independent accounting reports, expert witnesses, and other witnesses. On January 26, Judge Oris Medina filed charges against Carrizo for the crime of unjust enrichment, after the Public Ministry accused him of increasing his economic assets by $1.9 million during his tenure as vice president. According to the prosecution, former Vice President Carrizo earned $7.1 million during his tenure. However, after completing his term, the declared assets exceeded the sum of $9 million, yielding a difference of $1.9 million.
