Over vigilant Panama fisheries watchdog fired

 Kriss Poveda, former National Director of Inspection, Supervision and Control of Aquatic Resources Authority of Panama (ARAP), who was fired  Jun 16,allegedly on direct orders of the President has laid charges against the administrator, says La Prensa.

During her time in office Poveda opened 22 cases against fishing vessels of fishing vessels flying the Panamanian flage and . She also gave the green light to more than 100 lawsuits against national fleet vessels for illegal fishing and breaches of the law regulating fishing in Panama.
She was fired on the day she was to have given testimony to the Criminal prosecutor in a case against Diana Arauz,y the administrator of  ARAP, Arauz who allegedly said the firing was on the direct orders of President Ricardo Martinelli.. "She said my dismissal was for not being a facilitator of users," said Poveda.
On June 11, 2010 Kriss had requested the assistance of the Panama Port Authority in preventing the departure of a group of 17 boats that had administrative processes under way, pending notification of lawyers.
“After hearing my explanation of the request Arauz said , that by order of President of the Republic she was separating me from office. And then I was notified of my dismissal.” Said Povena.
According to documents seen by La Prensa,two days after the dismissal  ARAP ordered the lifting of the measure passed on the group of 17 vessels involved in administrative processes.

“Arauz told me that she was dismissing me because I was not a facilitator of users, because we in ARAP should not only be repressive or auditors , but we should also be facilitators of users and basically all user complaints were directly against my direction, against my officials and against me.” Povena told La Prensa

According to documents seen by La Prensa, on the day of her dismissal Kriss should have attended a meeting with the Anti Corruption Prosecutor to testify in proceedings against the administrator of ARAP for alleged crimes against public administration, one of the first cases brought against a management official under Ricardo Martinelli.

Carlos Villarreal, who had previously asked ARAP for some documents under the Transparency Law, filed a complaint against Araúz for having released or given the order to free a boat that had a pending proceeding in ARAP, despite the fact the directorate of Inspection, Supervision and Control had placed a fine of $ 564,000, and requested the retention of the vessel and the temporary suspension of the fishing license.

The fine had been ordered because On November 23 the Spanish owned vessel Southern Cross, flying the Panamanian flag., and made a landing of shark fins. It was seized for violation of the law banning shark finning. Povena says the owner boat traveled to Panama to meet with Arauz.