Ex-tourism boss Shamah facing trial

SALOMON SHAMAH  the former director of the Panama Tourism Authority (ATP) will face a preliminary hearing  for the  alleged commission of the offense of peculation to the detriment of the Authority on April 4.

Shamah seen as the Svengalis  behind ex-president Ricardo Martinelli’s CD Party dirty tricks campaigns is charged with three other people.

The authorities are investigating the allegedly irregular allocation of a project for construction of a tourist project  in Cabimo, in the district of Rio de  Jesus, Veraguas.

The work, with a cost of $135,000  , was awarded in 2009 to the company Building Services Corporation. An audit report from the Comptroller’s Office certified that the company He had no experience in this type of work. The Third Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office claims that it was determined that even though the company had no experience  in this type of work it was  assigned  to its execution. In an inspection made in 2016 no significant progress

But 75% of the agreed money had been paid. A report from the Planning Authority of the Tourism Authority also revealed that there was a lack of timely management for the preparation of the environmental impact study and little control of the procedures for its execution.I t details that a lack of experience of the contractor was detected, since it employed three c onsultants to prepare the environmental impact study.

The prosecution has charged Shamah with finding that as director of he inadequately monitored the progress of the work and allowed a company to be chosen without. experience.

A trial  is also requested for Tamara Ponce Sánchez, Yadira González and Jaime Cornejo, all members of the company.