Panama seen as safe haven by criminals on the run

DRUG DEALERS, fraudsters, murderers and torturers and human rights abusers continue to see Panama as a safe haven of choice, and many get   granted asylum.

Most come to Panama to evade the authorities of their own countries, where they have open accounts with justice

The regional office of Interpol This year, reported the capture of 36 people sought internationally for drug trafficking, fraud, money laundering , sex offenses, aggravated robbery and homicide, and existing drug offenses .
Of that total, 24 were handed over to the international authorities fulfilling the request issued by countries reports La Prensa.
Some are high profile cases whose protagonists are high ranking political and military figures wanted for committing serious crimes at home or abroad.
One of the arrests was that of former head of the CIA in Milan, Robert Seldon Lady , alias Mr. Bob sentenced in Italy for kidnapping and torture of Muslim Abu Omar, in 2003.
Seldon was captured in Panama in July in Paso Canoas border with Costa Rica, but days later went to the United States.
Another one arrested was the anti-Chavez political leader Carmelo Romano Perez, wanted in Spain for fraud.
Perez was arrested in July at Tocumen International Airport by officials of the Directorate of Judicial Information. He had been convicted in Valencia, Spain, and sentenced to four years in prison.
He was also fined $ 7000 for having swindled more than $ 1.92 million from a Catalan businessman between 2004 and 2006. The politician was extradited to Spain in September.
That month ex Ecuadorian legislator Galo Lara Yepes was arrested, accused of complicity in a triple murder.
His capture came after the Criminal Chamber of Ecuador’sNational Court sentenced him to 10 years in prison. However, Lara Yepez was released in the absence, at that time, of a request for extradition from the Ecuadorian government.
Later, he was granted territorial asylum requested by Executive Decree 341 of October 22, 2013 – on the grounds that his life was in danger if he returned to his county.
Meanwhile, Dino Bouterse, son of the president of Suriname, Desi Bouterse , was arrested in August and handed over to U.S. authorities , where he was wanted for trying to send 10 kilos of cocaine in a suitcase, shipped on a commercial flight .
In early October singer Ramón Gálvez , alias El gringo bachata was arrested at Tocumen, as he was returning to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic , after appearing in Panama .