Monday
Tuesday 24th September 2024.
September 23, 2024
The Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office is on the trail of three former officials of the Veracruz Communal Board allegedly involved in the disappearance of 600 beams belonging to the Ministry of Public Works (MOP) and which were removed from a storage yard located in Farfán.
Sources linked to the investigation revealed that since last weekend a series of efforts have been made to locate these three people against whom arrest warrants have been issued, but which have not been able to be carried out.
According to the investigations, those required may have information that could lead to establishing responsibility for the theft of the beams and the period of time in which the operation took place.
Last week, a judge in West Panama charged a man with embezzlement who the prosecution believes was the person who transported, delivered and charged for the delivery of the beams.
The investigations carried out by the authorities suggest that the accused maintained contact with the three people who are being sought by the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
Some 600 beams that were to be used to repair the structure of the Bridge of the Americas have disappeared from a yard used as a warehouse by the MOP.
Since September 14, the prosecution has located beams in various areas of the country ranging from the provinces of Herrera, Darién, Panama Oeste, Veraguas and Panama.
However, there is no precise idea of the date the material was removed from the MOP facilities, whether there was authorization from any administrative authority for its sale and who was responsible for the operation.
Following this, a complaint was filed against the former MOP minister, Rafael Sabonge , for the alleged commission of the crime of embezzlement and the Public Prosecutor’s Office was asked to summon him to testify regarding the whereabouts of the beams.
So far, authorities have recovered some 140 beams in investigations carried out in various parts of the country.
The internal elections of the Democratic Change (CD ) party have revealed deep divisions among its members, especially between deputies and former deputies, regarding who to support for the political leadership of the group.
They have also unleashed a series of accusations about alleged offers of government positions and now a possible influence in the Palacio de las Garzas , despite the fact that the President of the Republic, José Raúl Mulino , has been emphatic that his administration will not get involved in the internal disputes of the political parties.
This weekend, CD deputy Carlos Afú, in a meeting with delegates of that group in the province of Los Santos, asked for support for former deputy Yanibel Ábrego .
Although Afú did not mention the surname, currently one of the most influential figures in Mulino’s government is Ventura Vega, who acts as an advisor to the president and has been seen close to the president in his first meetings with the deputies.
Both Henríquez and Ábrego have received the support of deputies and former deputies of CD.
For example, in the new CD bench, Henríquez is supported by Didiano Pinilla, Yesica Romero, Orlando Carrasquilla, Eduardo Vásquez and Julio de la Guardia. While in the old bench he is supported by Ana Giselle Rosas, Edwin Zúñiga and Génesis Arjona.
On the other hand, Carlos Afú and Manuel Cohen from the current bench are with Ábrego. Gertrudis Rodríguez has not yet decided who she will support.
Along with the former deputy of Capira, there are also former deputies Rony Araúz and Leopoldo Archibold, who are part of her payroll.
Other figures who were in CD and who are now part of the ranks of Realizando Metas, such as the deputy Alain Cedeño and the current governor of Panama Oeste, Marilyn Vallarino, have declared that they will stay out of this internal electoral process.
Finally, others such as Sergio Gálvez, current deputy, and Mayín Correa, governor of the province of Panama, have not commented on the matter, although in the recent past they were CD deputies.
So far, the Electoral Court has not issued an official statement on whether it has the necessary funds to carry out the internal electoral process.
The President of the Republic, José Raúl Mulino , will participate this Wednesday, September 25, in the General Assembly of the United Nations Organization (UN) , according to the calendar of the list of heads of state, heads of government and ministers who will present their speeches during the 79th session of this organization.
Although it is not yet known exactly when the president will give his speech, Mulino’s speech is ranked fifth in the afternoon session.
The General Assembly will take place from 24 to 28 and 30 September , and speeches are planned to focus on the conflicts in Gaza, Sudan and Ukraine.
The first country to address the international community will be Brazil on Tuesday, September 24, represented by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
During a meeting with the board of directors of the Council of the Americas, a U.S. business organization, President José Raúl Mulino explained on Monday, September 23, the measures taken against the discriminatory lists in which Panama has been included.
The president reiterated that he had made the decision that countries that keep the country on these lists will not be able to do business with Panama. “The country that has us on the lists or participates in political groups that keep us on the lists will be excluded from any possibility of doing business in Panama. It’s that simple. No tenders, no contracts, no advice of any kind,” he said.
He said he would continue the campaign to defend Panama because these inclusions are “degrading and unfair.”
The Presidency announced in a statement that this was Mulino’s first event on his tour of New York.
The Panamanian leader pointed out that some countries in the European Union are the main opponents of Panama being removed from these discriminatory lists. He indicated that they have had a negative impact on Panama.
“They destroyed our financial system. The banking system has been severely limited by all the compliance requirements that come with the number of agreements, decrees and all the international regulations that have been imposed on us,” he stressed.
The meeting was attended by the president of the Council of the Americas, Susan Sagel, and other executives and businesspeople.
Mulino also spoke about investment plans, despite the “deteriorated situation of public finances” in the country. He assured that they will make cuts in operating expenses within the State budget, “but investment is a priority for me, especially because there are projects that we are finishing or rescuing as we have said.”
Several points in the city, especially the higher areas, are still without water despite the fact that maintenance work on the Federico Guardia Conte de Chilibre water treatment plant was completed on Sunday .
Sectors such as Samaria, Los Andes, in the district of San Miguelito, report that they have not received it. Neither has Villa Cáceres de Betania; as well as El Cangrejo, in Bella Vista.
In Hato Pintado, in the Pueblo Nuevo district, residents report that they have been without drinking water for about 48 hours.
Over the weekend, the National Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers (IDAAN) carried out work at the water treatment plant, which forced it to stop producing drinking water at 9:00 pm on Saturday, September 21. The work was supposed to end around noon on Sunday, but due to problems experienced by IDAAN staff due to turbidity found in the depths of the suction pit of the raw water pumping station, the work was extended.
It was at around 3:00 pm on Sunday that the Idaan proceeded to start the engines of the plant. At around 6:00 pm the water began to reach the closest sectors of the plant in North Panama.
The water supply began to reach the centre of the capital after 9:00 pm. The Idaan reported on Monday that they are continuing with the recovery plan in various areas of the capital that are experiencing intermittent supply. In several areas they have had to open the hydrants to eliminate the “air pockets” in the pipe network and “speed up” the supply.
“We apologize for any inconvenience caused,” the organization said.
The Collective Hospitality group , with a presence in Southeast Asia, acquired the majority of the assets of the Selina chain, which had fallen into insolvency, after a vertiginous growth, driven by two young Israeli travelers from the first accommodation center in Panama.
International media, specialized in the hotel and tourism world, have reported that on August 22, Collective Hospitality acquired the majority of Selina’s subsidiaries, including around 100 hotels in 22 countries, focused on attracting Generation Z and the millennial public.
On July 22, 2024, the Board of Directors of Selina PLC appointed Andrew Johnson, Samuel Ballinger and Ali Khaki of FTI Consulting LLP as joint administrators of the Company.
These administrators took control of the company’s operations and shortly afterwards launched an accelerated sale of Selina PLC’s operating subsidiaries and other key assets. Details of the transaction have not been disclosed.
The hotel chain, which once had some 30,000 beds, has seen its value plummet since it went public in December 2021, with a valuation of $1.2 billion.
Despite closing unprofitable properties, carrying out mass layoffs and renegotiating its debt with creditors, these efforts were not enough to avoid bankruptcy.
Selina was founded in Panama in 2015 by Daniel Rudasevski and Rafael Museri, who said they arrived in Panama several years ago, but it was in Pedasí where they found the opportunity to invest in the real estate sector.
The acquisition of Selina represents a strategic move that significantly enhances Collective’s global presence, adding approximately 100 properties in major cities across North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia to its portfolio, the company said in a statement.
“We are delighted to welcome Selina to the Collective Hospitality family,” said Gary Murray, CEO of Collective Hospitality PTE Ltd.
Selina properties will be combined with Collective’s other lifestyle social lodging resorts including Slumber Party, Bodega Hostels and Socialtel Resorts.