Plundering lawmakers destined for court hearings
THE CORRUPTION investigation of lawmakers who used millions of public funds to get re-elected will be re-opened and cases against sitting deputies will be destined for the Supreme Court.
The Public Ministry (MP) will ask the Fifth Criminal Court the continue the investigation about alleged irregularities that was suspended pending 186 audits of communal boards and municipalities.
The audits were delivered to the MP by the Comptroller Federico Humbert, on Tuesday, Feb 27.
They show 70 deputies from the 2009-2014 period – of which 39 were re-elected in May 2014- transferred $247 million to the boards and municipalities.
The Public Ministry (MP) will refer the cases of serving deputies to the Supreme Court of Justice (CSJ).
The audits showed that 34 deputies of Democratic Change CD) handled $ 158.8 million; 7 of the Molirena, $36.2 million, and 10 of the Revolutionary Democratic Party (PRD) received $34.7 million. In addition, 10 deputies of the Panameñista Party benefited with $17.1 million and a Deputy of the Popular Party got $492,000.
Humbert enumerated irregularities detected in the audits, such as false invoices and lack of documents to support millions of dollars in transactions.
The audits will be sent to an Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office and additional investigations will be carried out if required.
If linkages arise with deputies of the National Assembly, they will be sent to the CSJ.
By constitutional mandate, the CSJ hears criminal cases against the members of the National Assembly.
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