Corruption suspects use election ploy to delay probes

THREE  PROMINENT  suspects in high profile corruption cases are running  for  office in the internal elections of the Democratic Change party (CD) party , which means that investigations are stalled.

The electoral firewall has been in place since August 26 says Electoral Tribunal (TE) judge ), Eduardo Valdés.

Originally, it would have been in force  from Thursday September 7, but party officials filed an appeal for reconsideration, which was heard by the TE magistrates.

Among the candidates who have for now dodged the bullet are Riccardo Francolini, former president of the

board of directors of the  Caja de Ahorros Savings Bank,Federico José Pepe Suárez and Jaime Ford Castro, former Public Works Ministers in the government of Ricardo Martinelli (2009-2014).  All  are facing  criminal charges involving multi millions of dollars.  If found guilty they could be sentenced to lengthy prison terms and banned from public office

The three have been called by the Special Anti-Corruption Office of the Odebrecht case, which last Monday ordered a series of investigations including raids, inquiries, ocular inspections and searches as part of investigations into the payment of bribes by the construction company to civil servants and individuals in Panama.

Francolini went to the prosecution on Tuesday, September 5, but the interrogation was not carried out because

Francolini claimed electoral immunity. For the same reason, he could not be questioned in the so-called case New Business case on the purchase of Editora Panamá América, S.A., allegedly with  public funds

Ex-minister Ford also arrived but used the same excuse.