News
Thursday 10th October 2024.
October 9, 2024
Luis Carlos Manuel Gómez Rudy and Grettel Villalaz de Allen , appointed by President José Raúl Mulino as Attorney General of the Nation and Attorney General of the Administration, respectively, are seeking the support of the deputies of the National Assembly, the branch of the State that must ratify them for the position.
In recent days, Gómez Rudy and Villalaz de Allen met with the different legislative groups. The appointed prosecutors presented their work plans to the deputies, spoke about the anti-corruption agenda and answered various questions.
Janine Prado , head of the Vamos caucus , explained to La Prensa that they met with Gómez and Villalaz last Tuesday, October 8. She added that they saw their CVs and talked about their main objectives at the head of two “such important” institutions.
“Let us remember that the last Attorney Generals of the Nation have not completed their full term (10 years), so there are great challenges there. And it is very interesting that the Office of the Attorney General has a much more active role,” he explained.
For the Vamos deputy, the main objective of both attorneys is to work with complete independence. She reported that the independent bench (20 deputies) has not yet decided how it will vote. She added that they will wait for the Credentials Commission, the body that must analyze their resumes before going to the legislative plenary, to make the call.
Initially, the committee was scheduled to meet with the two appointed prosecutors on Wednesday, October 9, but the session was cancelled. This exercise will probably take place next Monday.
Another person who spoke on the matter was deputy Roberto Zúñiga, who is also part of the Vamos bench. “We asked them various personal questions, about their relationship with the President, their vision in the fight against corruption, etc. They promised that their attorneys general would be independent,”.
Meanwhile, Ernesto Cedeño , from the Otro Camino Movement, reported on his social media account X that, after meeting with the two prosecutors appointed by Mulino, he decided to support them, since the Attorney General of the Nation promised to implement the career in the Public Ministry and promised him that he would not create “institutional instability and would decide according to law.”
Meanwhile, the Attorney General of the Administration defined and clarified what her role as advisor consisted of. She promised, she said, that she will expand the training function of the Attorney General’s Office. “I was convinced by your answers, face to face. Grace Hernández was at the meeting and will attest to what I am telling you (…)”, wrote Cedeño.
The Credentials Committee , which must decide in the first instance whether to reject or ratify the attorneys, is chaired by Representative Shirley Castañeda , of the ruling party Realizing Goals.
The Cabinet Council, in its session on the afternoon of Tuesday, October 1, appointed Luis Carlos Gómez Rudy as replacement for Javier Caraballo, the former anti-drug prosecutor who occupied the post vacated by Eduardo Ulloa, who in turn replaced Kenia Porcell.
While Grettel Villalaz de Allen will replace Rigoberto González Montenegro in the Office of the Attorney General.
The Supreme Court of Justice confirmed that former President Ricardo Martinelli’s constitutional rights were not violated, after the Second Liquidation Court of Criminal Cases did not admit a series of evidence in a civil suit filed by the Panamanian State in the Odebrecht case.
Through edict No. 1088, the parties were notified that the full Court, with the report of Judge Juan Francisco Castillo, substitute for Judge María Eugenia López, decided to confirm a ruling by the First Superior Court that denied the protection filed by Martinelli.
The Court decided to ratify in all its parts the ruling of July 17 of the First Superior Court, which concluded that Judge Baloísa Marquínez did not violate Martinelli’s constitutional guarantees by not admitting a series of evidence presented by his lawyer, Carlos Carrillo, within the lawsuit filed by the Panamanian State against the former president, which was presented by the then Minister of Security, Juan Pino.
In the appeal, Martinelli’s defense argues that Judge Marquínez violated her client’s fundamental rights by not admitting a series of crucial evidence for his defense.
Carrillo’s appeal argues that the evidence was introduced in a timely manner and complies with the requirements of the law, since it is related to the civil action and is necessary to support the defense’s theory.
The Court upheld the decision of the magistrates of the First Superior Court who rejected these arguments, stating that no elements were found to prove violations of due process or the fundamental rights of the former president.
Carrillo insists that the judge’s refusal to accept the evidence violated his client’s right to defense, without adequately explaining the grounds for such a decision.
The commission of inquiry into the management, administration and use of resources by Etelvina Medianero de Bonagas , rector of the Autonomous University of Chiriquí (Unachi) , has two casualties. Two of the 10 deputies who had initially signed up for this task turned their backs on the mission. They resigned.
They are Nixon Andrade , from the Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD) and Jamis Acosta , from Realizing Goals (RM).
This was reported to La Prensa by the Chiriqui deputy Jonathan Vega , one of the harshest critics of the rector of Unachi. He said that Andrade, deputy of circuit 12-2 (Besikó, Mironó, Nole Duima) had already formalized his withdrawal. He recalled that Acosta, deputy of circuit 4-1 (David, Chiriquí) requested his exclusion from the list the same day the commission was created.
“I cannot allow us to become famous or pretend to be better deputies at the expense of a problem that has been going on for years or of a person who has been beaten up,” Acosta said.
There is no deputy from the ruling RM party in the group. This practice is contrary to the discourse of President José Raúl Mulino, who last August stated that the rector of Unachi “should not be given a penny more than what she already has and squanders.” He advised her to “better shut her mouth,” and here he added that “every time she speaks, she opens the door to the biggest Public Ministry.”
The commission was created on October 2, at a time when Medianero de Bonagas’ administration as rector of Unachi is once again in the eye of the storm due to multiple cases of nepotism, millions of dollars spent on juicy salaries for a select group of teachers and administrators, and other anomalies. It will have a period of 30 days to submit a report to the plenary on the findings of the investigation. In addition, it will have 30 days, which can be extended if it does not meet the first deadline.
He led one of the most questioned public entities of the previous government administration (2019-2024 ), which is currently in the eye of the storm due to the possible irregular handling of millions of dollars.
The President of the Republic himself, José Raúl Mulino , defined what happened with that entity and the well-known parallel decentralization as a “real disaster with public funds” that exceeds 300 million dollars, and gave 60 days for the communal councils to present reports on the use of those resources.
In the midst of this controversial scenario, the figure of Edward Mosley Ibarra, former director of the National Decentralization Authority, has gone unnoticed. He replaced Francisco Vigil in that position since April 2022, when the latter took a 60-day vacation but never returned.
Now, Mosley Ibarra has a new life since he left his post on July 1: he is a tourism and poultry entrepreneur. At least, that is what appears on his social networks, where he promotes the companies Agua Marina Tours and Finca El Descanso.
In the case of Agua Marina Tours, the former official promotes tours in the district of Mariato, specifically in the community of Palo Seco, where he transports people to paradisiacal destinations such as Coiba Island or Cébaco.
It also promotes whale watching in that area of the Panamanian Pacific. In that same coastal area, it advertises the rental of cabins for the celebration of special events or simply to spend the night there.
According to information in the Public Registry, Agua Marina Tours was established on October 4, 2023 and is chaired by Edward Mosley Ibarra. That is, it was established while he was director of the Decentralization Authority.
On the other hand, the former director of the Decentralization Authority publishes on his social networks his poultry business at the El Descanso farm, in the district of San Francisco.
In his posts, he can be seen tending to the birds dressed as a farmer. “Remember to place your orders,” writes Mosley Ibarra, who has not yet given any explanations about the controversial parallel decentralization.
The former official even tried by all means to prevent this matter from being investigated. For example, in 2023, the Supreme Court of Justice granted him a constitutional protection order to prevent the Administration’s attorney general, Rigoberto González, from investigating the alleged diversion of millions of funds to communal councils controlled by members of the ruling Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD).
The Public Prosecutor’s Office reported that at least seven people were arrested in Chiriquí for allegedly belonging to a group that stole and robbed cars and then transported them to Costa Rica.
It was reported that the search warrants were carried out by agents of the National Border Service and the National Police.
Police reported that this criminal group falsified documents in order to be able to bring the cars into Costa Rican territory.
The Chiriquí Prosecutor’s Office will continue with the investigation of the case, and more details of the operation will be released in the coming hours.
Prosecutor Yariela Serrano reported that in Operation Revo III, investigations were carried out in David, Dolega and Barú . In addition, the arrested persons will be taken to the hearing.
Meanwhile, the National Police reported that technological equipment and documents were seized during the operations, evidence that forms part of the investigations.