OPINION: Panama’s losing corruption battle

We are close to the one year since President Juan Carlos Varela vetoed bill 514 on the statute of limitations on corruption offenses and that excluded companies guilty of benefiting from public contracts. The government of Varela fell short in the fight against corruption and the sanitation of public administration. In the five years of its mandate investigations were initiated from the Public Ministry, but little was done to reform the legal and institutional framework that facilitates the great corruption in Panama. There is no legislation against conflicts of interest, there is no obligation to make public the patrimonial declaration of the officials, nor have controls been strengthened that would prevent corporate corruption from flourishing in our country. On the other hand, Neither the Public Prosecutor’s Office nor the justice system were granted sufficient budget to properly face the tasks of investigating and prosecuting those responsible for the worst robbery suffered by the country. The fight against corruption is pending. It is vital that the new government undertake it with the commitment to build a decent country – LA PRENSA. Apl. 25