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Panama is a transit country for drug trafficking, especially cocaine, heroin, and marijuana. Huge quantities of drugs generally pass through Panama going to markets in the United States, Canada, and Europe. The money from that trafficking activity comes back down through Panama to be laundered. The Panamanian National Police Direction of Intelligence and Information (DIIP) and Judicial Technical Police (PTJ) coordinate with the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and other international police and anti-drug forces to discover and disrupt large, well-funded drug smuggling rings primarily based in Colombia and Mexico. Recently there was a world-record 20+ ton maritime cocaine bust that had a street value of almost half a billion dollars. Those one-kilo small square bricks you see on television are worth about $25,000 each on the street in Chicago. With all of that drug money flowing through Panama there are ample opportunities for corruption on the part of local government officials who generally are very poorly paid. In 2004 Panama's President Martin Torrijos was elected on a "zero corruption" campaign platform and in reality his administration has made significant efforts to combat government corruption. Anti-corruption efforts generate headlines and discussion, and in this section of Panama-Guide.com you will find a collection of those articles related to the various cases of corruption by people in positions of public trust in Panama. If you require additional information about this or any other category of information regarding the Republic of Panama please take advantage of our powerful in-house search engine. And if you still can't find what you're looking for we even take requests! Welcome aboard, and please remember to tell your friends about Panama-Guide.com, the #1 English Language Website about the Republic of Panama. Salud.
Tuesday, May 06 2008 @ 08:43 AM EST
Contributed by: Don Winner
Views: 119
By Betty Brannan Jaén for La Prensa - The ratification of the bilateral Free Trade Agreement between the United States and Panama has been "on hold" for more than a year and a half, but the government of Panama has continued to pay the lobbyists they have under contract in Washington. Although official numbers are not available, the lobbyists could be costing Panama around $84,000 per month and hundreds of thousands of dollars per year. Two of the lobbyists, one of them Panamanian Raúl Romero - are on contract at a rate of $26,000 per month, along with one lobbyist for $15,000 and another one for $17,000 dollars per month. This newspaper (La Prensa) obtained documents detailing part of the payments the lobbyists received in 2007. The documents, although incomplete, allow one to presume the lobbyists have received their complete payment in spite of the impasse suffered by the treaty since the installation (in September 2007) of Pedro Miguel González as the President of the National Assembly.
Monday, May 05 2008 @ 09:57 AM EST
Contributed by: Don Winner
Views: 366
By Rubén Polanco for El Siglo - From 1999 to June of 2006, the Consulate of Panama in New York was an organization susceptible to irregular handling of public funds. This, according to an audit conducted by the Comptroller of Panama covering the above period, which leaves clear the incorrect charging for consular proceedings with nonofficial receipts, additional money that was not reported, one official who was being paid two salaries, and even others who were paid a salary without reporting to work. The official audit was able to document a total of $442,118.98 in public funds that's missing. Employees from the previous administration of Mireya Moscoso as well as those of the current administration of Martin Torrijos are involved in the irregularities. (more)
Saturday, May 03 2008 @ 09:54 AM EST
Contributed by: Don Winner
Views: 216
By William Sala for La Prensa - One year after having been conditionally released from prison to house arrest for health concerns, the former manager of the Panamanian "Banco Nacional" Rafael Arosemena will be returning to the El Renacer prison. This report was confirmed yesterday by Luis Gordon, the Director of the National Penitentiary System, who received a report from the Technical Board of that penitentiary. Gordon said the Board believes that Arosemena's condition of health allows him to return to the prison that he left on 5 April 2007 after having spent only 76 days incarcerated. Arosemena returned to Panama after having spent 16 years in hiding in Mexico. But last night defense lawyers for Arosemena tried to keep their client from being transferred back to prison, and sent a note "To Whom It May Concern" from Dr. Temístocles Díaz which warns that Arosemena - who has had a heart operation - suffers from "persistent asthma," which "places him at a greater risk of pneumonia lobar that could be mortal." Arosemena faces sentences in eight legal cases for having diverted as much as $14 million dollars of state funds.
Tuesday, April 29 2008 @ 11:03 AM EST
Contributed by: Don Winner
Views: 283
By AP/RYAN J. FOLEY (MADISON, Wis.) — The U.S. military's health insurance program has been swindled out of more than $100 million over the past decade in the Philippines, where doctors, hospitals and clinics have conspired with American veterans to submit bogus claims, according to prosecutors and court records. Seventeen people have been convicted so far, including at least a dozen U.S. military retirees, in a little-noticed investigation that has been handled by federal prosecutors out of Wisconsin because a Madison company holds the contract to process many of the claims. It has not been accused of any wrongdoing. At the center of the case is Tricare, a Pentagon-run program that insures 9.2 million current and former service members and dependents worldwide. (more)
Tuesday, April 29 2008 @ 07:47 AM EST
Contributed by: Don Winner
Views: 207
By Rafael Luna Noguera and Rafael Pérez G. for La Prensa - The new criminal code which takes effect in May 2008 includes a series of new elements in the matter of "crimes against the public administration" (corruption), that in the opinion of Panama's Second Anti-Corruption Prosecutor Maribel Cornejo will contribute to the fight against corruption. Cornejo detailed yesterday that among those innovations she pointed out the inclusion of several elements that will now be considered to be aggravating circumstances. For example, if a person is accused of theft of government funds or embezzlement, or of illegally misdirection funds for a different use, aggravating circumstances will be applied to the case if the funds or resources were destined "to welfare programs or to programs of social development." (more)
Monday, April 28 2008 @ 08:11 AM EST
Contributed by: Don Winner
Views: 454
By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - No really, I mean it. I don't know how many people on the face of Planet Earth can look skyward and declare with the utmost confidence that "My father is a genius" and really, truly mean it. He is. He quite simply is. My Dad (who I am obviously very proud of) worked as the Plant Engineer in a factory that produced both flavors and fragrances at an industrial level. Think 55 gallon drums of the essential oils that get shipped to France to make Chanel Number 5. Or barrels of lemon extract that eventually goes into your lemon flavored birthday cake mix. Those guys work with chemicals and hazardous materials all the time, and my dad's job was to make sure the workers were safe and that the company was in compliance with OSHA. (more)
Sunday, April 27 2008 @ 10:13 AM EST
Contributed by: Don Winner
Views: 275
By Isidro Rodríguez y Yaritza Mojica for the Panama America - The Comptroller of the Republic and the Office of the Attorney General should investigate how the Ministry of Education spent the $9 million dollars used to remove fiberglass insulation in schools throughout the country, according to ex-Comptroller Rubén Darío Carles. He says MEDUCA owes an explaination to the country in response to the complaints that have arisen with regards to the handling of this money and the work completed by the companies contracted to remove the fiberglass. He said that by means of this investigation the causes and those responsible for the supposed poor handling of the funds can be identified and later punished. (more)
Saturday, April 26 2008 @ 12:01 PM EST
Contributed by: Don Winner
Views: 416
Arq. Jaime Salas
By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - Leave it to a ticked-off Gringo to stir up the pot. Yesterday afternoon lawyers for an American expat living in the Vista Marina building on Ave. Balboa filed a criminal complaint with the Direction of Judicial Investigation (DIJ) for "Crimes Against the Administration of Justice." Inmobiliaria Vista Marina S.A., a company supposedly owned and/or operated by Herman Bern, is building the second tower of the Vista Marina project on Balboa Ave., and according to the complaint they have encroached upon the land of the first tower (the existing Vista Marian Tower One building) by some 2.5 meters. The affected owner has been trying repeatedly since September 2007 to get municipal engineer Jaime Salas to issue an order to suspend the construction of the new building but for some reason he has refused to do so, even though documents issued by his own office confirm the basis of the complaint by the residents. Frustrated, they filed a criminal complaint, trying to force the hand of the municipal government. (more)
Wednesday, April 23 2008 @ 04:59 PM EST
Contributed by: Don Winner
Views: 774
By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - Every once in awhile I get together with my good friend Brett Mikkelson, the owner of BM Investigations, for lunch, a couple of beers, or whatever. Last Saturday afternoon I was working away in the office and we decided to get together for lunch. You know those government owned vehicles you see driving around all over town? They're easy to spot because they have a huge yellow line painted down the side and the words "For Official Use Only" painted on them. They're hard to miss, but every now and then you see something that just makes you wonder... (more)
Saturday, April 19 2008 @ 10:04 AM EST
Contributed by: Don Winner
Views: 285
By Rafael Pérez G. for La Prensa - The First Criminal Court of the Third Judicial Circuit of La Chorrera rescheduled a hearing for 17 former employees of the Direction of Income of the Ministry of Economy and Finances, all of whom have been fired, amid an investigation for the irregular handling of tolls charged for the highway between Panamá and La Chorrera, for 5 August 2008. Judge Alina Hubredo made the decision after the preliminary hearing scheduled for yesterday, Friday 18 April 2008 was suspended because three of the lawyers of the 17 people charged did not appear at the hearing. The history of this case goes back to July 2005 when the PTJ arrested a group of 30 people of the Direction of Income of the MEF for their supposed connections to the theft of tolls. In an undercover operation PTJ detectives were able to verify were using two methods to illegally steal the toll money. First they gathered toll tickets from the pavement that drivers threw out of their windows and then later resold them to other travelers. In addition transportation workers, bus drivers, and owners of private vehicles - friends of these employees - returned their accumulated toll tickets or sold them to these employees, who then later resold them to travelers. Twenty nine months later, on 13 December 2007, the Third Anti Corruption Prosecutor requested that 17 people be charged for the supposed theft of $760,261 of state funds. The rest of the suspects were not accused. The lawyers of those accused said yesterday that two official audits revealed that the absence of internal controls makes it impossible to attribute specific responsibility to each one of their clients. (Photo Credit: LA PRENSA/Víctor Arosemena)
Friday, April 11 2008 @ 07:41 AM EST
Contributed by: Don Winner
Views: 438
By Rafael Luna Noguera for La Prensa - The judge of the Tenth Criminal Circuit Court Anselmo Castillo nullified Wednesday afternoon the arrest warrant he himself had signed just hours before against the Director of the Women's prison Gissele Castillo, who is accused of contempt of court for not having released inmate Myve Lorena Orellana, who was arrested in 2007 on drug charges. According to sources in the judicial branch of government, judge Castillo said he did not know there was an there was an extradition request of extradition for inmate Myve Lorena Orellana on the part of the United States. Due to the extradition request the judge told lawyers for Myve Lorena Orellana to contact the competent authority (in this case the Chancellery) in order to file for a legal defense or an appeal. Orellana's lawyers, who remains detained and in prison, presented yesterday a formal complaint yesterday in the offices of the Attorney General against Gissele Castillo and the Director of the Panamanian Penitentiary System Donald Bravo, who they accuse of having illegally prevented their client from being liberated. When asked about the case Bravo had no comment.
Friday, April 04 2008 @ 07:50 AM EST
Contributed by: Don Winner
Views: 275
By Santiago Fascetto for La Prensa - The Government of the Dominican Republic, whose President is Leonel Fernandez, will present a formal request to the Central Electoral Board in this country to ask them to investigate to see if Miguel Vargas Maldonado has businesses and agreements in Panama. "The 'Liberación Dominicana' (pro-government) party has the obligation in front of the country to ask the Central Electoral Board to open an investigation to clearly establish which are the business relationships and the property Vargas Maldonado has in Panama," announced yesterday Francisco Javier García, the election coordinator for Fernández, from Miami. They also briefed international news agencies. Garcia described as "very worrisome" the controversy over the contract signed by a company of Panamanian President Martin Torrijos to advise Vargas Maldonado, who was then the Secretary of Public Works in the Dominican Republic. "It is a very worrisome situation that candidate Vargas Maldonado is seen involved in another international scandal related to the deflection of resources and influence peddling from the position he held as the Secretary of Public Works," said Garcia. Fernandez and Vargas Maldonado are the two main candidates who are fighting over the presidency in the elections that will be held next May.
Friday, March 14 2008 @ 07:19 PM EST
Contributed by: Don Winner
Views: 345
By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - Hey, there he is! Roberto Prestan Medrano, the guy who used to be the Director of the tax office (cadastro) in Bocas del Toro dropped off the radar late last year. Funny, but he seemed to evaporate shortly after I reported his involvement with Rights of Possession land fraud problems on Cayo de Agua. Specifically he was involved in the case of Jean (Jim) Morales, the illiterate woman who had 55 hectares of land stolen from her in the name of Cirilo McSween. For a few months it seemed as if he had fallen off of the government payroll. I had heard he was working for PRONAT (which falls under the MEF) but it was funny because he was not on their payroll. When I reported THAT he turned back up, listed as a "Regional Administrator" earning $1,500 per month. Well, at least now I know where to find him to ask for an interview. Ain't transparency wonderful.
Copyright 2008 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.
Saturday, January 26 2008 @ 07:57 AM EST
Contributed by: Don Winner
Views: 429
By José Otero for La Prensa - Panama's Attorney General Ana Matilde Gomez opened an investigation yesterday into reports of supposed bribes paid in relation to the purchase of seventeen Mabey bridges in 1997, according to a complaint filed on 21 January 2008 by Panamanian politician Jose Blandón, who is a Deputy in Panama's National Assembly and a member of the opposition Panameñista political party. Gomez explained that her office is analyzing the complaint to determine if it meets the formal requirements (to be admitted), if there are public employees involved, and if the commission of a crime is prescribed or not. (more)
Wednesday, January 16 2008 @ 09:09 AM EST
Contributed by: Don Winner
Views: 407
By David Leigh and Rob Evans for The Guardian - One of the richest families in Britain is being accused in a courtroom battle of circumventing anti-bribery laws. The Mabey family firm, whose worldwide empire is based on exports of steel bridges, is accused by its former sales manager of misconduct in sales to Jamaica, the Dominican Republic and Panama. The former manager, Jonathan Danos, says that large secret payments of "commissions" to middlemen were artificially split to make them look smaller, and thus avoid official scrutiny. In all three countries, there was no competitive bidding for contracts, profits were alleged by him to be exceptionally high, and the money had to be borrowed from commercial banks, adding to the heavy debts of poor countries. (more)
Wednesday, January 16 2008 @ 07:28 AM EST
Contributed by: Don Winner
Views: 568
By Mónica Palm and Rafael Pérez for La Prensa - The bridge manufacturer Mabey, of the company Mabey & Johnson Limited, at the moment involved in a corruption scandal in Great Britain, paid more than $5.2 million dollars in "commissions" to a Panamanian company supposedly controlled by Rogelio Dumanoir, who was a Minister of Public Works during the years of the military dictatorship. The payments were made between 30 September 1997 and 19 August 1999 to the company José Hidalgo, S.A., which, according to Mabey - is controlled by Dumanoir. As well, the money was sent to an account in the name of United Management Services in the Royal Bank of Canada in the Bahamas. Dumanoir told La Prensa he does not handle banking accounts in the Bahamas and that he does not have any relationship with the company. (more) (Photo Credit: LA PRENSA/Gabriel Rodríguez)
Tuesday, January 01 2008 @ 09:01 PM EST
Contributed by: Don Winner
Views: 378
By Rubén Polanco for El Siglo - The Office of Panama's First Anti Corruption Prosecutor is making exhaustive analysis of the file regarding the embezzlement of public funds from the Fund for Quality and Fairness in Education (FECE) of the Education Region San Miguelito in order to determine if additional investigation is merited. Mercedes of Leon, the First Anti Corruption Prosecutor, said that together with the auditors from her office they are evaluating everything that has already been done by the Office of the Auxiliary Prosecutor. "We want to know if perhaps something was left out, if there are any diligences that remain to be done, if there are other people to investigate, or if someone needs to add to their testimony, and to see if there are more people who should be tied to this case," she said. The Prosecutor said that so far the amount of money involved is $892,932.88 and it is very unlikely that the Public Ministry will grant any kind of preventive measure other than preventive detention, and that the five people involved so far will probably remain in police custody. Responsibility for this case passed from the Office of the Auxiliary Prosecutor to the Office of the First Anti Corruption Prosecutor on 20 December 2007. In total there are fourteen people implicated in this case who have been charged with falsifying documents, fraud, and illegal association in order to break the law. Of the total involved there are five people under arrest - Joaquina Gallardo, the ex-accountant of the FECE and niece of the vice-minister of Education, Zonia Gallardo; as well as Mitzi Miranda, Teodoro Castillo, Pedro Sáenz and Ascanio Araúz. Dayanara Sanson, the daughter of Joaquina, is under house arrest because she is pregnant.
Sunday, December 16 2007 @ 07:51 AM EST
Contributed by: Don Winner
Views: 438
Ricarado Traad, Former Director of the SMN
By José Otero for La Prensa - Panama's First Anti Drug Prosecutor concluded its review of the Perseus V case file, and in their opinion asked for the six people implicated in the case to be called to trial, including four former employees of the National Maritime Service (SMN), as well as the former Director of the SMN Ricardo Traad Porras. The prosecutor's opinion, which was forwarded to the Fourth Criminal Court, calls to trial in addition to Traad, Eduardo Morales, the former manager of government property, Roberto Fierro, the Chief of Logistics, and Edilberto Luna, the former Chief of Operations, all of the SMN. (more)
Saturday, December 15 2007 @ 08:18 PM EST
Contributed by: Don Winner
Views: 539
By Jean Marcel Chéry and Rafael Rodríguez for La Estrella - More than $1.5 million dollars has been embezzled from the Fund for Fairness and Quality in Education (FECE) in San Miguelito. What began with a checking account of the Gallardo family has ended in the unraveling of a complex network of public employees, businesses, friends, and those in favor with the PRD. The details of the story are all coming together now that Joaquina Gallardo has turned herself in to the PTJ. She points to other public employees, such as the ex-regional Director of Education in San Miguelito Betsy Guzaman, who until now has not been implicated in the case. Guzmán responds with another accusation.
Saturday, December 15 2007 @ 08:47 AM EST
Contributed by: Don Winner
Views: 412
Alma Montenegro de Fletcher
By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - Alma Montenegro de Fletcher is the Chief of the Panama's National Council for Transparency Against Corruption, and recently has been embroiled in a controversy involving Balbina Herrera. In a recent symposium that was supposed to promote the role of women in government, Balbina Herrera announced to the gathered crowd that she intends to officially run for the position of the Mayor of Panama City. The room was full of government employees who were supposed to be attending training and not a political event. And, Alma Montenegro de Fletcher was in attendence. Opposition political leaders have called for the resignation of both Balbina Herrera as the Housing Minister and Alma Montenegro de Fletcher as the anti-corruption czar.
Copyright 2007 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.
Saturday, December 08 2007 @ 04:14 PM EST
Contributed by: Don Winner
Views: 370
By Rafael Luna Noguera for La Prensa - Dolores Guerra, who this week filed a criminal complaint against a former adviser to the Ministry of Government and Justice Blas Toto Velásquez for having tried to extort money from her in the name of two Supreme Court justices, made an additional complaint to the "Defensoría del Pueblo" saying that she has received death threats and that she fears for her life and the safety of her family. Guerra, who was received received by the Secretary General of the Defensoría, Carlos Vásquez, asked the institution to investigate her complaint, which has ties to a land dispute case in Chiriquí and the supposed sale of a decision in her favor in the case. Vásquez suggested that Guerra appear before the organs of state security to let them know about the death threats she has received.
Tuesday, December 04 2007 @ 04:21 PM EST
Contributed by: Don Winner
Views: 354
Panama America - Those implicated in the embezzlement of public funds from the Fund for Fairness and Quality in Education (FECE) in San Miguelito could face new charges for the supposed falsification of more than 238 checks. So far authorities have only talked about the forging of the signatures of Betzy Guzmán and Yoira Perea, the ex-Director and Sub-Director of the FECE. But, in the declaration of the Ex-Director of the FECE Augusto Garcia, he indicates that the manager of the Banco Nacional in San Miguelito, Norman Vanegas, said that those checks were not printed by the bank. According to Vanegas, the number appearing on at least 14 of the checks do not correspond with checks printed by the organization. However, the Nations Comptroller Carlos Vallarino said that the stolen checks were kept on shelves since 2003, according to an audit. So far 16 days have gone by since this scandal broke but still nothing is known about the whereabouts of the primary suspect implicated in the case, Joaquina Gallardo, the ex-accountant of the FECE.
Sunday, December 02 2007 @ 08:39 AM EST
Contributed by: Don Winner
Views: 700
El Siglo - Operation "Ley Patriotica" (Patriotic Law) continues to be devastating in Chiriquí, where now another foreigner is under investigation. Sources close to the investigation said the person being investigated is a Dominican named Anthony Andujal. The source, who asked to reserve his identity, said that Anthony supposedly was a business partner with Salim Salen or Salim Safadi, a Nicaraguan of Lebanese origin, who is also under investigation. The residence of the Dominican was inspected by the authorities in charge of the DIIP together with the First Anti Drug Prosecutor of Panama. According to sources close to the investigations, the residence of the Dominican is located in Paso Canoas before the bridge over the Chiriquí Viejo river. (more)
Saturday, December 01 2007 @ 10:15 PM EST
Contributed by: Don Winner
Views: 432
By Eneida Prieto for the Panama America - More than $11,000 in cash and checks have been given by the lawyers for Joaquina Gallardo to the Auxiliary Prosecutor, who demanded to know the origin of the money. It was known that one of Gallardo's brothers, Luis Peña Torregrosa, bought a blue Land Cruiser for approximately $48,000 in cash. The luxury SUV with "full extras" was released this week from a lien and transferred to another person, even though the FECE scandal had already exploded. Sources indicated that the Judicial Technical Police (PTJ) have arrest orders for
By Betty Brannan Jaén for La Prensa - The ratification of the bilateral Free Trade Agreement between the United States and Panama has been "on hold" for more than a year and a half, but the government of Panama has continued to pay the lobbyists they have under contract in Washington. Although official numbers are not available, the lobbyists could be costing Panama around $84,000 per month and hundreds of thousands of dollars per year. Two of the lobbyists, one of them Panamanian Raúl Romero - are on contract at a rate of $26,000 per month, along with one lobbyist for $15,000 and another one for $17,000 dollars per month. This newspaper (La Prensa) obtained documents detailing part of the payments the lobbyists received in 2007. The documents, although incomplete, allow one to presume the lobbyists have received their complete payment in spite of the impasse suffered by the treaty since the installation (in September 2007) of Pedro Miguel González as the President of the National Assembly.
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