News
Thursday 25th July 2024.
July 24, 2024
Alberto Ortega , appointed by President José Raúl Mulino as manager of the National Mortgage Bank (BHN) , was investigated for alleged money laundering in 2015 in a case related to the process that culminated in the conviction of the former Supreme Court of Justice (SCJ) judge, Alejandro Moncada Luna.
The incident came to light on Wednesday, July 24, during the session of the Credentials Committee to ratify a long list of officials. Ortega was the first to appear before the commissioned deputies.
Luis Duke , a deputy from the independent Vamos party, questioned him on the subject. How do you think this accusation, which could not be proven due to a flaw in the process, which led to the dismissal, affects your integrity and moral solvency to occupy the position?
Ortega replied that he was acquitted because “everything was done in accordance with the procedures, the account openings, the files, the visit reports, and the inspections by the Superintendency of Banks.” “We were acquitted because there was nothing abnormal in the file (…),” he said.
Duke also asked Ortega what actions he would take to demonstrate to Panamanians that a similar case will not occur during his administration.
Ortega replied that the BHN “will implement all appropriate procedures for all products it offers” in all areas.
The High Court for the Liquidation of Criminal Cases acquitted him.
After a recess, the Credentials Committee resumed its session at 3:25 p.m. The commissioners then voted in favor of recommending to the full legislature that Alberto Ortega be ratified as manager of the BHN. Six deputies voted in favor: Shirley Castañeda and Nelson Jackson , from RM; Yesica Romero , from Cambio Democrático (CD); Sara Magallón (Jairo Salazar’s substitute); Benicio Robinson Jr., from the Democratic Revolutionary Party.
The three from Vamos abstained: Luis Duke , Janine Prado , and Alexandra Brenes .
“It took us a little time to understand what parallel decentralization was,” said Roxana Méndez , appointed director of the National Decentralization Authority (AND) , when deputy Yesica Romero, of Democratic Change (CD), asked her about her opinion on the controversial program that was the subject of a scandal in the administration of Laurentino Cortizo (2019-2024).
In the Credentials Committee of the National Assembly, where Méndez appeared on Wednesday afternoon for his ratification process in the AND, Deputy Romero even told him that a communal council in his province of Bocas del Toro received $6 million from the parallel decentralization.
Méndez, mayor of the municipality of Panama from 2012 to 2014, said that when they explained the four programs of the entity, which she calls “funds,” they realized that three of them have requirements, regulations, usage rules, and specifications for investment in public works. However, she added, there was a fourth that had no regulations, requirements, rules, or specific purpose.
The program, he added, was created in 2018 to address urgent needs that arose in a district or town. However, he said, in “these last few years” “very high amounts” were handled. He did not talk about numbers, he did not mention names. He said that they have not yet had access to the files. What he did say is that those funds “were with an instruction to send them to a community council for a social assistance program. This was like a discretionary fund,” he said.
Deputy Romero also asked what she will do to prevent the practice from repeating itself. Méndez said that for 2024 “there is no budget for that line of work,” as there was in previous years. She stated that they asked the Minister of Economy and Finance, Felipe Chapman, to block these items. This, she added, was in response to the call of President José Raúl Mulino , who said he did not want to know anything about parallel decentralization.
The government of José Raúl Mulino will ask the Inter-American Development Bank and the World Bank for advice to create a legal framework that will serve as a reference for the hiring of the firm or company that would be in charge of carrying out the audit of the Cobre Panamá mine, which was closed in November of last year after the Supreme Court of Justice declared the contract between the company Minera Panamá, a subsidiary of First Quamtun , and the Panamanian
This was announced by the Minister of Commerce and Industry, Julio Moltó , on Wednesday 24th during the swearing-in of the board of directors of the Association of Companies of the Panama Pacific Area, who expressed that the destination of the copper concentrate currently in the Donoso project will indeed be analyzed.
“We are consulting with the Inter-American Development Bank and the World Bank to help us create a framework for hiring a company that can do this audit. We want it to be a renowned and prestigious company, so that there is no doubt about the results obtained,” Moltó said.
In the specific case of copper concentrate, the MICI minister said that the specific audit on this material will be carried out more quickly due to the risk it represents.
“That is another decision that needs to be made, the concentrate and also approving the maintenance plan for the Mine. For the concentrate, another prior audit must also be done, which we will carry out more quickly to know the quantity of concentrate there is and make a decision as soon as possible,” he added.
Environment Minister Juan Carlos Navarro on Wednesday echoed warnings about the risks of keeping copper concentrate in the mining site, and announced that it must be removed from the area as soon as possible.
The deputy of the Realizing Goals (RM) party, Luis Eduardo Camacho, sent a controversial message to the new director of the Institute for the Training and Utilization of Human Resources (Ifarhu) , Jaime Díaz.
He told him: “I will send you many letters. And I will send you letters asking that scholarships be arranged, yes, for people who deserve it and who have the merits for the scholarships. Do not forget how you got there. You got there thanks, among other things, to those of us who are here,” he said, pointing to some deputies and other guests who were present on Tuesday night in the Blue Room, where the Credentials Committee is meeting, to attend the ratifications of officials appointed by President José Raúl Mulino.
Camacho’s words came after the intervention of some deputies, including those from the independent Vamos party, who recommended that Díaz keep politics away from the institution. Some even asked Díaz how he would respond when he receives letters from deputies requesting scholarships.
Part of the scrutiny of Díaz focused mainly on the political handling that Ifarhu, during the last government administrations, has given to the controversial economic aid, large amounts of state aid that ended up in the hands of those close to influential politicians, mainly from the Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD). of at least $141.6 million.
The nine members of the Credentials Committee voted in favor of recommending to the legislative plenary that Jaime Díaz be ratified as director of Ifarhu.
They had previously done the same with Gloria De León , for the administration of the Panama Tourism Authority.
The deputy of Realizing Goals, Luis Eduardo Camacho , was elected this Wednesday, July 24, as president of the Government, Justice and Constitutional Affairs Commission of the National Assembly .
Camacho, who was nominated by Raúl Pineda of the Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD), beat the independent candidate of the Vamos coalition, Roberto Zúñiga, in the vote 5-4.
In addition to his vote, Camacho also received the support of Crispiano Adames (PRD), Raúl Pineda (PRD), Didiano Pinilla (Cambio Democrático) and Ariel Vallarino (RM).
Zúñiga added his vote to those of Francisco Brea (Panameñista Party), Luis Cheng (Vamos) and José Pérez Barboni (Another Way Movement).
Meanwhile, Ariel Vallarino was elected vice president of the commission , beating José Pérez Barboni 5-4 in the vote.
Deputy Francisco Brea , who was nominated by Camacho and Zúñiga, was chosen for the position of Secretary of the Government Commission . Brea was elected unanimously with nine votes.
It should be noted that this commission was unable to hold a session on Tuesday, after the necessary quorum was not achieved to begin the session. This situation was questioned by independent deputies, who said that the session was intentionally cancelled because the ruling party did not have the votes.
The functions of this commission are to study and issue opinions on constitutional issues, matters related to national defense, the granting of extraordinary powers to the Executive Branch, electoral legislation, migration, among others.
At least seven people were arrested during Operation Matsu , which was carried out early Wednesday morning, July 24, by the Public Prosecutor’s Office in conjunction with the National Police and the National Border Service.
According to the First Prosecutor’s Office against Crime, these people are allegedly linked to a network of illegal migrant trafficking, mostly of Chinese nationality.
During the raids on several homes in the districts of David, Boquete and Alanje, agents seized cash – around $70,000 – and technological equipment.
The bundles of money were hidden, along with several passports and documentation.
Deputy prosecutor Elvis Salazar explained that this network recruited migrants, especially Chinese. He did not rule out the arrest of more people involved in this case.
About 10 migrants drowned due to a high water level in the community of Carreto, Guna Yala region, the National Border Service (Senafront) reported on Wednesday, July 24.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office immediately launched an investigation because the bodies were allegedly buried with the aim of “covering up their criminal links to migrant trafficking,” the institution said.
According to Senafront, this situation occurs just as Panama begins to close some points on the border with Colombia to “channel” the flow of irregular migrants entering the country through Darien. For several weeks, the country has placed kilometers of fencing to prevent people from crossing.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office reported this morning that the Guna Yala Ombudsman’s Office is carrying out the procedures to confirm the death of the 10 migrants.
Officials from the National Border Service are reportedly moving to the area to determine the location of the bodies.
Some reports indicate that there are about 15 migrants missing due to a flash flood in Carreto.