Comptroller not keeping tabs on government

Former Panama Comptroller, Carlos Vallarino said Sunday, January 5 that the person currently heading the office, Gioconda Torres de Bianchini, has failed to keep adequate tabs on government spending.

Vallarino said that the Office of the Comptroller General has an excellent staff, but they have had their hands tied "because of the pressure to sign things that are improper.",

He said that surveys of the population have shown that people do not trust the government, and the Office of the Comptroller is responsible for oversight..
"The bodies which have to do their duties are not doing so," he said. "These independent institutions, such as the Comptroller and the Attorney General's Office, are not investigating matters that need to be explored further." His remarks appeared in La Prensa on line.
Torres de Bianchini was employed by Presdient Ricardo Martinelli until her appointment as comptroller.