In Panama, Vehicle Inspection Workshops are Charged with Fraud
Simón Henríquez, director of the ATTT (Tax and Customs Enforcement Administration), who led the operations, reported that some garages were using digital photographs of the vehicle to obtain the inspection document, without the car undergoing a proper physical evaluation.
Officials from the Land Transit and Transportation Authority (ATTT) conducted surprise raids on several auto repair shops that handle vehicle inspections, where multiple irregularities were detected. Simón Henríquez, director of the ATTT, who led the operations , reported that some workshops were using digital photographs of the vehicle to obtain the inspection document, without the car undergoing a proper physical evaluation. Furthermore, it was discovered that workshops authorized solely for motorcycles were inspecting and issuing certificates for sedans, a practice that violates established regulations. In response to these anomalies, Henríquez indicated that service was suspended at the workshops involved, and in some cases, financial penalties ranging from $100 to $5,000 were imposed, depending on the severity of the violation. The ATTT director called on vehicle owners to only go to workshops that follow the correct procedures, in order to guarantee their safety and ensure that their vehicles are maintained in proper mechanical condition.
