Business and civil groups demand fast action on corruption

FOLLOWING  a public march against corruption and immunity, supported by thousands of citizens from all walks of life, business leaders and civil groups met  on Thursday, Jan. 26, to pressure the government and the judiciary to perform their roles and lead the fight “expeditiously”

In a “Stop Corruption” forum organized by the Panamanian Association of Company Executives (Apede).

The Association’s president Juan Gabriel González, said: “We reject corruption in any form,”

“Let’s analyze the society we are forging and the nation we will leave to our children and grandchildren. It is time to strengthen the

foundations of society from the family to our institutions. If we have strong institutions with capable people who are committed to Panama there will be no corruption,” he said.

The forum was attended by Chamber of Commerce President Jorge García Icaza, lawyer Ricardo Lombana and Rubén Castillo, president of the Panama Foundation for Economic and Social Development of (Fudespa).

At least 60 people attended the seminar , which was prompted by the revelations by theconstruction company Odebrecht that it paid $59 million in bribes to Panama public officials between 2009 and 2014.

At the end of the event, Apede issued a statement urging the Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Judicial Branch to play their part.

“Our country requires solid, transparent, efficient and expeditious action especially when there is a confession of the commission of criminal acts,” it said.