US War Veterans Living in Panama Allegedly Have Been Defrauded by Doctors, Individuals and Companies    

Authorities in charge of investigating the alleged fraud against US war veterans living in Panama are waiting to charge some 30 people, including individuals and companies. Sources linked to the investigation revealed that an indictment hearing has been set for next October, in which Marianela Martínez Hidrogo de Alvarado, wife of doctor Javier Alvarado, will be charged. She has already been charged in this process for the alleged commission of crimes of money laundering and aggravated fraud. The original story posted awhile back is below:

A judge declared the investigation into doctors Walter Kravcio and Javier Alvarado a complex case, related to the alleged fraud against United States veterans, who were allegedly charged for medical services they did not receive.  Last February, prosecutor Sandy Cedeño, of the Special Prosecutor’s Office against Organized Crime, requested more time to conclude the investigation due to the multiplicity of proceedings that her office must carry out and the number of victims of the alleged fraud. Finally, she was granted a one-year extension to conclude the investigation.  The prosecutor’s office requested an extension of the investigation period, since in the months of October, November and December 2023; it was unable to carry out a series of procedures planned in the province of Chiriquí, due to street closures due to protests against the mining contract.  The prosecution had to reschedule the proceedings, as well as an indictment hearing to link 25 other people to the investigation, who are required to provide information on the destination of the funds paid by the patients. 

The investigation began after the United States Treasury Department detected the alleged irregular collection of medical benefits from war veterans in Panama, which would have caused serious economic damage.  As of August 2023, the prosecution had managed to secure the sum of $585,689 deposited in local banks and presumed to be part of the money paid by the U.S. government for its veterans to receive medical care in Panama.  Last August, the High Court of Appeals upheld the precautionary measures of house arrest with the possibility of going to work for doctors Kravcio and Alvarado, both accused of the alleged commission of the crimes of aggravated fraud and money laundering.  According to the investigation, the investigation may reach other people who subcontracted other specialists to care for veterans and who allegedly charged inflated prices for their services.