More land titling fraud under investigation
Multiple possible crimes, including influence peddling, abuse of authority and perjury have been linked to a group of former officials of Panama’s land titling authority (Anati).
Added to a complaint over events involving the titling of land in Punta Chame were affadavits claiming supposed owners had lived there peacefully for five years on what was little more than a sand bar with ho habitations,
There are accusations of violations of procedural rules, and approval without urban planning compliance.. At the center of the storm is Anabelle Villamonte, former titling bosss of Anati and other officials of the authority. An investigation by the Attorney General is under way.
Reports from the departments of Cartography, and Assessment of Anati, Resolution No. 329, signed by Villamonte, awarding the lot to a society whose Puntabeach-possessory rights had previously been sold by its owner, mention that the petitioner "complied" with the requirements of Article 3 of Law 80 of 2009 which regulates the degree of coasts and islands, "credited possession through the material domain for more than five years" .
A tour of the area, by La Prensa investigators showed no house or any structure in more than 12 plots in a solid sand area were divided with wooden posts and palpably recently cut a barbed wire fence.
This newspaper found that the new plots are between the sea and farms clearly demarcated.
The owners of these farms and area residents were never consulted by the Anati in the free award process, as required by law, but, in contrast, the award decision for Puntabeach signed by Villamonte says there was opposition from neighbors.
Article 3 of Law 80 states that possession is recognized to be the person establishing busy "materially, peaceful, uninterrupted and in a spirit of ownership" for five years or more in the field "with the acceptance of such possession by neighboring or community and the issues of the ocular inspection report prepared by the Cadastre [now Anati] Ministry of Economy ".
Calderon Rivera, the alleged seller of the possessory rights for $ 8000 to Puntabeach is said to held in a "peaceful and uninterrupted" field since 1981.
Puntabeach was registered on June 23, 2011 in the Public Registry. That same day the payment of t $ 8000 Calderon for his alleged possession rights over the lot, and four months later, on October 7, 2011 – The newly formed company received free land titling.
Two weeks after graduation, when the Juan Hombrón-case was revealed, the lawyer Marcelino Ramos Madrid, rsigned from his positions as director and treasurer of the society. His replacement was Jose Calderon Rivera.
Ramos Madrid is the lawyer who took the legal representation of the companies linked to the parents of former Minister of the Presidency Demetrio Papadimitriu for titration of the 54 acres on the shore of Juan Hombrón, replacing Villamonte.
