Charged crooked cops ruling appealed

The Public Ministry (MP) has appealed a  Chiriqui judge ’s decision to allow a group of police officers charged with international drug smuggling to walk the streets while awaiting trial on charges that could see them jailed for years if found guilty.

Four members of the National Police and three civilians were arrested as part of an 18-month undercover investigation.

They are linked to a criminal structure moving drugs from Panama to CostaRica, with police units at a  checkpoint in Guabalá, Chiriquí, allowing the passage of vehicles with illicit substances in exchange for money paid to them by drug traffickers.

At the hearing of guarantees on Thursday, May 3, to legalize the requests for apprehension, imputation of charges and the provisional detention of the seven people, charges for drug trafficking, the illicit association for delinquency and corruption of public servants were imputed to three corporals and a second lieutenant of the National Police. Charges of international traffic of drugs and illicit association to commit a crime were also laid and one was charged with money laundering.

The judge of guarantees of the first judicial circuit of Panama, Karolina Santamaría, decided that the accused could return to their homes and report on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, as well as the prohibition on leaving the district where they live, due to the fact that they have work and domiciliary roots.

The judge supported such measure by virtue of the said that, in her opinion, there is no danger of escape or destruction of evidence.

She also denied the separation of the police officers’ from their jobs.

At the conclusion of the hearing, the second superior drug prosecutor, Eduardo De La Torre, announced the appeal.

The investigation began in  December 2016 and led to the seizure of 615 kilos of cocaine and $168,000.