Panama mass poisoning case opens after 10 years
THE HEARING of the case involving the mass poisoning with diethylene glycol of thousands of Panamanians finally got under way on Monday March 21, in the Supreme Criminal Court.
There are 11 defendants, including Angel De La Cruz and Theophilus Gateño, directors of Grupo Comercial Medicom, S.A .; the former director of the Social Security Fund (CSS) René Luciani; and the former head of the Laboratory of Drug Production CSS, Linda Thomas.
De La Cruz was the one who imported the substance and Gateño financed the purchase.
They are accused of the alleged commission of crimes against public health and faith, and against life and personal integrity.
At least 170 people died and 8,000 others have been affected since 2006, when it was became known that the syrup, which had been supplied by the Social Security Service(CSS), contained diethylene glycol.
In court were 84 lawyers representing victims and 11 appearing for defendants.
The victims, who have waited for 10 years for the trial, said before the case started that they would not endure another be postponement, as happened March 14.
That day, Judge Luis Mario Carrasco suspended the hearing after the lawyer Valentin Jaen representing Josefa De La Cruz De Silks, one of the accused, submitted a medical certificate for disability.
