Special treatment for corruption suspects

A COURT   RULING that if any of the suspects in the Odebrecht bribery scandal  are in preventive detention the case must be wrapped up in two months has raised concerns in civil society.

The Twelfth Criminal Court, in a July 13  ruling placed limits on the investigation by The Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office into for the payment of bribes from Odebrecht to  Panama 0fficials and individuals through La Constructora Internacional del Sur, S.A., Judge Óscar Carrasquilla granted an extension to the prosecutor’s office to continue the process until  all diligences are carried out, as long as There are no detainees.

If they are arrested, says the ruling, the prosecution will have two months to forward the file to the Judicial Body with the prosecutor’s  case ” in order not to be in violation of the principles of legality and due process. “

Magaly Castillo, executive director of the Citizen Alliance Pro Justicia, considers that the measure is “incongruous”, since in common cases ” prosecutors have all the time needed while suspects remain in detention, but in the case of corruption, restrictive limits are established for preventive detention” she said.

“In cases of such complexity, judges must extend that period as permitted by law […] the really curious thing is that the Judicial Body has more than 7,000 people in prisons waiting for a hearing. So why do not the limits apply to them?