Panamas crime fighters under threat

While Panama’s judicial system is believed to be corrupted, with decisions in  some cases open to bribery or governmental pressure, organized crime also plays a role by threatening judges and prosecutors.

Gangs fighting for territorial control in San Miguelito are suspected of having gunned down two young lawyers, Efrain Rodriguez and Christopher Roman  Birmingham, in retaliation for recent anti-gang operations ago  in the city.

Neither of the dead men was a criminal lawyer but Roman was the son of the second prosecutorer in upper San Miguelito, Anny Irasema Birmingham

Prosecutor  Sofanor Espinosa was quoted in La Prensa  as saying that so far three arrested for the double murder have adopted a "code of silence" and refuse to testify.
They have been charged with murder, illegal weapons possession and conspiracy to commit a crime.
Two of them were in a taxi which was seen at the scene and was later located at a roadblock mounted by police in Second Street, Pueblo Nuevo.
The third was in a Lexus vehicle, similar to one that seen in the where the two young men were killed. When arrested, he was carrying a gun whose bullets  are being compared with those found at the crime scene.
Espinosa said his office still was unsure of motive, since both were young lawyers who were at the beginning of their careers. Roman worked at the Panama Maritime Authority.
The prosecutor acknowledged that investigations of gangs and "high profile"  cases pose a risk to staff and trial lawyers. He said  he sometimes receive threats, but in most situations they are on "the spur of the moment."

But there is a history of lawyers being threatened, and killed or injured by gang members, including a high profile killing in a restaurant on Avenida Balboa when gunmen gunned down a lawyer in front of diners, and calmy left.

Former Attorney General, Ana Matilde Gomez had received death threats while in office.
La Prensa lists numerous cases of warnings to prosectors including a public death threat to Chiriqui Prosecutor Nedelka Diaz, by members of a gang operating in the city of David.
In July, Argentina Barrera, who was serving as a prosecutor in upper San Miguelito, was threatened by gang members operating in the area.
Earlier, in August 2009, the drug  prosecutor Javier Caraballo, reported a series of threats against him, when an  appeal a court acquitted 77 people investigated in an operation called the "Patriot Act". During the investigation, the Drug Prosecutor's Office seized a large amount of real estate and vehicles.
In November 2007,  Colon Adolescent Crime Prosecutor Judith Gomez, also reported being threatened, after leading a murder trial that included some of the ringleaders of a gang in that city.
 President Martin Torrijos facilitated the departure of then drug prosecutor José Abel Almengor, and his son, after receiving death threats from Colombian drug traffickers.
In 2006, the third assistant attorney of Columbus, Armando Gittens, was attacked with a firearm by three men riding in a car.
Police who found  the  stolen vehicle used by the three hooded gunmen, suspected that the shooting was a planned assasination attempt.
Gittens was in charge of a case for the robbery of $ 2.4 million from a Colon Free Zone Ban.
Ana Matilde Gomez felt that these are acts of organized crime to intimidate judges and prosecutors. She said that the gangs get information by infiltrating the security sectors with staff who spy on the activities of investigating officers.

The successor to Gomez abruptly resigned when it was discovered that organized crime had infiltrated his office. Former staff members are currently awaiting trial in a case relating to the release of four gang members.
Gomez said the drug operators study  the profiles of officials who may be susceptible to corruption.
The threats also move up the line to include judges.In early 2010, the then sixth penal judge Rubén Royo, reported a series of threats against him, and a special agentwas assigned to guard his office.
Royo had handled high profile cases such  as the "Patriot Act" Leopard and related drug crimes. In 2009 Royo was acquitted in a prosecution for alleged breaches of judicial ethics and a few months later presented his resignation.
Ex alternate judge  Zulay Rodriguez received several threatening phone calls after leaving office and report a series of irregularities in the management of some judicial proceedings, against Ana Matilde Gómez.
Security Minister, Jose Raul Mulino, said that organized crininals is targeting all staff that fight against them and he is no exception.
He said that the attack made by a group of hackers to computers at his  ministry demonstrates the interest of organized crime in knowing the actions of the authorities to combat them.
Mulino said  the fight against organized crime is very difficult because of the considerable resources at its disposal.
But not only prosecutors  are threatened. Many lawyers refuse to take on criminal cases because they fear the people they would be representing.