Monday
Monday 20th January 2025.
January 19, 2025
Although the Ministry of the Presidency adopted administrative and fiscal measures to contain public spending in the Central Government as of July 30, this measure has not been replicated in other State bodies.
The Supreme Court of Justice (SCJ) judges have adopted a decision that increases their salaries by $4,000 per month.
The decision was agreed upon at a plenary session of the CSJ, held on January 8. There they agreed that it would come into effect as of February.
A source told La Prensa that the salary increase was included in the Judicial Branch’s operating budget for 2024, although it was not paid that year. The item is also included in the 2025 budget.
The nine members of the plenary already receive just over $10,000 a month, since the salary (which ranges between $6,060 and $6,240) is added to the $4,000 that each one receives as representation expenses.
The increase represents a 66.7% increase in salary.
The SCJ has not officially reported anything in this regard, so it is unknown whether this increase favors magistrates from other instances and lower-ranking courts.
However, it could have an effect on what the Attorney General and the Attorney General of the Nation already receive, positions currently held by Gretel Villalaz and Luis Carlos Manuel Gómez Rudy. Both earn $10,000 a month ($6,000 salary and $4,000 in representation expenses).
Article 411 of the Judicial Code states that the two attorneys general will have the same rank, remuneration and guarantees as the magistrates of the CSJ.
The First Liquidation Court of Criminal Cases ordered the arrest and identification of Silvana Mancini de De Obarrio , mother of Adolfo Chichi De Obarrio, former private secretary of former President Ricardo Martinelli , and who is sentenced to 48 months in prison for the crime of money laundering.
Through official document No. 232-2025, dated January 13, the court ordered the arrest of Irving Castillo, director of the Judicial Investigation Directorate (DIJ), with the purpose of placing him at the disposal of the General Directorate of the Penitentiary System to begin serving his sentence.
Silvana Mancini de De Obarrio was sentenced to 48 months in prison after reaching a plea agreement with the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office of Descarga, an agreement that was validated by Judge Águeda Rentería on November 20.
The sentence imposed is divided into two sanctions of 24 months each: the first for unjustified enrichment and the second for money laundering, both as a primary accomplice.
After the agreement was validated, Eduardo Sequeira, Mancini de De Obarrio’s lawyer, requested that the prison sentence be commuted to a fine. However, Judge Rentería explained that such a request should be submitted to a compliance judge.
The investigation against Mancini de De Obarrio and his son, Adolfo De Obarrio, for money laundering has as a preceding crime unjustified enrichment. This process began after an audit by the Comptroller General of the Republic revealed that De Obarrio could not justify $3 million in his assets.
During the investigation, the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office seized two properties belonging to De Obarrio located in Punta Barco and San Carlos, in West Panama, as well as two other apartments in the district of San Francisco.
Adolfo De Obarrio, who currently lives in Italy, also serves a 120-month prison sentence for the crime of money laundering through the company Blue Apple. For this case, he must also pay a fine of $5 million, which must be paid to the National Treasury.
De Obarrio left Panama in November 2014 and did not appear in various criminal proceedings opened against him by the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office.
Comptroller Anel Bolo Flores has named the communal councils of Ancón, Curundú and Betania as the first to be investigated in the district of Panama, an announcement that is generating expectations due to the reasons behind this decision.
According to him, these boards concentrate a significant part of the resources managed through the controversial parallel decentralization, and preliminary records suggest possible irregularities in the use of funds.
The Comptroller stressed that the investigations will focus on analyzing financial transactions through the accounts of the National Bank, where the records of the issued checks are kept. He announced that there will be no tolerance for those who have mismanaged the resources destined for the well-being of the communities.
Bolo Flores’ allegations are well-founded. The Ancón district council, led by PRD member Iván Vásquez between 2019 and 2024, is positioned as the one that received the most resources in the district, with a total of 3 million 910 thousand dollars .
Vásquez, a member of a prominent PRD political clan, unsuccessfully sought re-election for a fifth term, leaving behind an administration marked by questions. This communal council has been under public scrutiny due to complaints about alleged irregularities in the management of state funds and assets, intensifying demands for transparency and accountability.
The Curundú municipal council, headed by Senen Mosquera, a member of the PRD, is in second place in receiving funds from parallel decentralization, with a total amount of 3 million 679 thousand 500 dollars. During his recent press conference, the comptroller used this district as an example of the management problems in the use of public resources.
According to him, despite being an area with deep social deficiencies, there is no visible evidence of the results that justify the handling of this huge sum. This has put Curundú at the centre of investigations for alleged irregularities. Unlike Vásquez, Mosquera did manage to get re-elected.
The Betania community council, led between 2019 and 2024 by the PRD member Abdiel Sandoya , is also among those singled out by the comptroller. This local government managed a total of 2 million 362 thousand 502 dollars , but its management has been marked by questions about the management of resources. Sandoya, who failed to be re-elected in the recent elections, left behind an administration under the shadow of criticism.
The comptroller explained that, instead of directly reviewing each of these entities, they are concentrating on the bank accounts of the National Bank, where all the financial transactions of the communal councils are recorded. This approach has revealed numerous irregularities.
According to Bolo Flores, many tried to evade tax control by destroying documents or deleting electronic information, but the money trail remains visible in the bank’s records.
Bolo Flores explained that the transfers to these three municipal councils amount to approximately 9 million dollars. “It is unforgivable that this money was used in politics, because it is the money that the people need,” he said.
In a recent appearance on the radio program 180 Minutes , the comptroller revealed alarming details, including the discovery of a fake check for $492,000 that, fortunately, was not processed. He also noted that there are already records of people who have cashed between 30 and 40 checks, all from the same bank. As the investigations progress, Bolo Flores stressed the importance of making the use of resources transparent and carrying out investigations with the full force of the law. “We have to assume that there will be people involved, not only from the community councils, but also from the [National] Bank,” he said, suggesting that bank officials who allowed these irregularities will also be investigated.
One person was killed in a confrontation in the community of Chucurtí, in the Guna Yala region, between members of the National Border Service (Senafront) and a group of criminals.
The incident occurred when a group of unknown individuals opened fire on Senafront officers who were patrolling the area.
During the exchange of gunfire, one Colombian was injured, while four others fled through a mountainous area. The injured man was treated by SENAFRONT agents, but died due to the severity of his injuries.
At the scene, authorities found a pistol that was presumably used by the criminals to shoot at the SENAFRONT officers.
Following the incident, Senafront officers mounted a series of actions to locate the rest of the attackers, but their whereabouts are still unknown.
The Chucurtí area is located near the Colombian town of Acandí, this site is used by criminal groups that operate in the area dedicated to drug and migrant trafficking.
On January 13, a Senafront officer was wounded by gunfire after a confrontation with a group of unknown individuals in the Tres Bocas sector, near the Cañas Blancas River.
The Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture of Panama urged the National Assembly on Sunday to speed up decision-making regarding the approval of the reform to Bill 163 of the Social Security Fund (CSS).
“The time to make decisions has come. As good parents, we must make difficult but necessary decisions that ensure the well-being and development of future generations. This is the time to demonstrate leadership and commitment to the future of Panama.”
The business association, led by Juan Alberto Arias Strunz, pointed out that the reforms to the Social Security Fund (CSS) are, without a doubt, the most crucial and urgent issue facing the Republic of Panama at this time.
“The future of the economic and social development of our country depends directly on the decisions we make regarding the structural changes that this institution, which is the backbone of Panama, needs,” he emphasized.
They point out that the Bill presented by the Executive Branch constitutes a serious and sustainable proposal, although it can be improved. “We know that this is not an issue that can be addressed lightly; it was necessary for the deputies to take time to analyze it, listen to different positions and assess the concerns of Panamanians.”
However, they argue that two and a half months have already passed since this project was brought before the Health, Labour and Social Development Committee as a single item, and it is clear that the time for deliberation has run out. There is no tomorrow; it is time to act.
The business association indicated that, although Bill 163 establishes that the reforms to the CSS would come into force as of March 1, 2025, this does not mean that we have until the last minute to approve it. Implementing these reforms is not a matter of pressing a button; it requires time, planning and immediate action.
“The approval of a solid, viable and sustainable law will send a clear message to international markets and credit rating agencies: we are assuming our responsibility and taking concrete measures to stabilize the system. The review of our country risk rating is scheduled for April, and this bill will be a determining factor in that assessment.”
The Chamber of Commerce also highlighted that the approval of this reform will be taken into account for Panama’s country risk rating, a crucial issue that will define the future, since it directly affects the cost of living of Panamanians.
“Panama has other decisions that depend on what we do as a country regarding the future of the CSS. There are bills that are pending, such as the Law of Preferential Interests for Housing, which expires in December 2025 and allows Panamanians with fewer resources to acquire decent housing. This will not be discussed until we resolve the issue of Social Security,” the union stressed.