News
Thursday 5th December 2024.
December 4, 2024
A ruling by the First Court of Justice upheld the decision of a judge of compliance to unify the prison sentence imposed on the former Minister of Social Development (Mides), Guillermo Ferrufino , over 10 years .
Through a ruling dated last Monday, December 2, and under the report of magistrate Miguel Espino , the first court decided not to admit an appeal filed by attorney Franklin Amaya, representing Ferrufino, to annul the decision of compliance judge Jostan Guevara adopted last March 15, in which he decided to accumulate into a single sentence the sentences applied to Ferrufino: four years for the crimes of embezzlement and another of six years in prison for unjustified enrichment, adding up to 10 years in prison.
On that occasion, during the development of a hearing, Judge Guevara rejected a request presented by Ferrufino’s lawyers, Eduardo Sequeira and Franklin Amaya, to substitute the 48-month sentence imposed on their client with the payment of days’ fines.
This is the second appeal for guarantees that the First Court has rejected against Ferrufino against the decision taken against Judge Guevara.
On June 11, the First Court also refused to accept an appeal filed by Ferrufino, considering that he was seeking to use the court as a new judicial body to analyze the decision adopted by the enforcement judge.
On October 7, Ferrufino turned himself in to the Judicial Investigation Directorate (DIJ) after being a fugitive for several months.
The former Mides minister was acquitted in the first instance by the First Liquidation Court of Criminal Cases for the crime of embezzlement for the alleged illegal rental of helicopter flight hours, a decision that is not final.
This ruling was appealed by the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office before the High Court for the Liquidation of Criminal Cases, considering that the trial judge did not properly assess the evidence presented during the trial.
Ferrufino is currently being held in the El Renacer Penitentiary Center, along with other former officials, most of whom have been convicted of crimes against public administration.
In addition to Ferrufino, El Renacer includes the former director of the National Aid Program, Giacomo Tamburelli; the former mayor of Arraiján, Pedro Sánchez Moró; the former mayor of Panama, Bosco Vallarino
The former official has repeatedly stated that the files opened against him had a political origin.
The Minister of Economy and Finance, Felipe Chapman , accused former President Ricardo Martinelli of conspiring and generating “chaos” in the country for political benefit at the expense of the reforms to the Social Security Fund (CSS) .
He said that Martinelli is one of those behind the proposal presented on Tuesday by the ruling party Realizing Goals (RM ), which seeks, among other things, to stop the increase in the retirement age and tax interbank loans.
“He is lying rampantly. That is what is called a mythomaniac, a person who lies without realizing that he is lying,” he said in an interview with journalist Álvaro Alvarado’s Noticias 180 Minutes program.
“This man has attacked me for the last 15 years, ever since I denounced corruption, and he continues to do so,” the minister added.
According to Champan, the former president is presenting proposals and saying solutions when he never did so at the time. “He had the opportunity during his government to review and update the Caja law and he didn’t do it. He is lying every day. What’s more, he stands in front of the mirror and lies to himself,” he said.
“He is one of those who is continually attacking the president ( José Raúl Mulino ),” he said.
The former president, who has taken refuge in the Nicaraguan embassy and writes about possible solutions on his social networks, is the president of the RM party.
In a statement read by Deputy Alaín Cedeño, President of the Assembly’s Labor and Health Committee, the RM bench – together with the mixed bench made up of the Alianza, Partido Popular and Molirena parties – expressed their rejection of the increase in the retirement age, proposed by the Executive Branch in Bill 163, which seeks to reform the CSS.
They also announced that they will propose an investment scheme for the reserve funds in public and private institutions selected through public tenders, with the aim of avoiding conflicts of interest and ensuring sustainable returns.
They also support the three-percentage-point increase in employer contributions that the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture of Panama (Cciap) had previously requested in order to prevent layoffs and the difficulty of creating jobs.
The National Union of Workers in the Construction and Similar Industries (Suntracs) proposed to the Committee on Labor, Health and Social Development that construction workers be able to retire at 55 years of age and with 180 contributions to the Social Security Fund (CSS) .
This was stated by the union’s secretary of organization, Yamir Córdoba, during his intervention in the consultations on bill 163 , which seeks to reform the organic law of the CSS, which began on November 14.
According to the leader, the work of construction workers involves extreme physical effort, aggravated by constant exposure to inclement weather such as sun and rain. This wear and tear translates into a significant deterioration of their health at an early age.
“A construction worker of 40 or 50 years of age has the backbone of a person of 70 or 80 years of age. And at that age, it is difficult for us to get hired for construction sites,” he said.
He assured that these special retirement conditions would be similar to those of other countries in the region such as Peru, Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay, where the difficulties of early retirement applications are recognized.
The CSS reform includes a three-year increase in the retirement age, from 57 to 60 for women and from 62 to 65 for men . According to the director of the entity, Dino Mon, this would only apply to workers who are more than seven years away from retirement.
However, the new system would eliminate the minimum retirement age for the Type D group, that is, those who begin to contribute after the approval is obtained, establishing only that the worker can retire when his savings generate a minimum pension of 265 dollars per month.
Mon stressed that this measure would eliminate age-based barriers, allowing workers to decide when to retire based on their accumulated savings.
After conducting an inventory of the counterfeit Panamanian brand Chinese rice seized yesterday, Tuesday, December 3, the National Customs Authority reported that 32,130 pounds of rice were confiscated and that it was contaminated with weevils.
Rice from China was detained in a Panamanian Pacific port in 2- and 5-pound bags, with the falsified label of the national product Pelín.
Customs reported on Wednesday, December 4, that 13,040 2-pound bags and 1,210 5-pound bags were found hidden inside a container that had declared it was transporting cell phones, phone cases or protectors, and steel cabinets.
Authorities said this case could be related to a previous seizure, detected on November 13, when 2,120 five-pound packages, equivalent to 10,600 pounds of counterfeit rice, were seized.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office has launched investigations to determine the origin of the counterfeit product and find those responsible for this crime.
According to official figures, 90% of Panamanians include this grain in their daily meals.
During a patrol carried out in the mangroves of Bahía de Chame, province of Western Panama , park rangers from the Ministry of the Environment (Miambiente), together with the National Aeronaval Service (Senan) , detected illegal logging activities that threaten this vital ecosystem.
During the operation, authorities seized 403 pieces of wood from endangered species, as well as tools and boats used in the extraction. Those responsible are under investigation and face possible charges for the environmental damage caused.
This problem is not isolated: 70% of the mangroves in Chame are seriously affected by indiscriminate logging, the dumping of waste and the pollution of the estuaries.
Mangroves are a kind of natural wall that withstands storms . When they are cut down, communities are left without a protective barrier to mitigate soil erosion.
For the entity, this logging situation not only puts the environmental balance at risk, but also compromises traditional economic activities, such as fishing, and weakens the tourist appeal of the region, a key sector for local development.
Given this situation, Miambiente reported that it is working together with the Government of West Panama and other local authorities to develop a sustainable management plan for the bay.
This project seeks to protect mangroves, guarantee their conservation and, at the same time, offer economic opportunities to the communities that depend on this resource. The recovery of the Chame mangroves is not only an environmental necessity, but also a commitment to the economic future of the region, according to the environmental entity.
The USNS Pathfinder , a U.S. Naval Research Vessel specialized in bathymetry studies, conducted a survey of the seabed at the Caribbean entrance to the Panama Canal , revealing previously unseen details of the area, including wrecks of planes and sunken vessels. This study was conducted in collaboration with the United States Embassy and with the support of the Tommy Guardia National Geographic Institute , highlighting the technical cooperation between Panama and the United States.
The main objective of the survey was to obtain precise data on the seabed, which will ensure the safety of vessels anchored at this key point. The entrance to the Panama Canal is an area with a high concentration of ships awaiting transit, making it essential to have detailed information on the seabed to avoid accidents.
This was stated by the Secretary General of the National Land Administration Authority (ANATI), Ángel Dávila, who stressed that the initiative arose from the mutual interest between Panama and the United States to exchange technical knowledge and strengthen the national strategy in the management of marine resources. This collaboration is part of the joint efforts to improve security and environmental management in the region, with special emphasis on the protection of marine fauna and the conservation of the marine ecosystem.
During the survey, which took place between February 29 and March 22, 2024, the USNS Pathfinder mapped approximately 83 square kilometers in the northern area of the Panama Canal entrance. In this process, six shipwrecks, three vessels and three aircraft, were found. Of these, four shipwrecks had not been previously identified, which underlines the relevance of this study. These findings allow for expanding historical knowledge about the events that occurred in the region, and also have significant value for future research.
In addition to their historical value, the data obtained will be crucial for the protection of marine fauna and the management of marine resources, as they allow us to better understand changes in the seabed and their impact on the ecosystem. The information acquired will contribute to improving conservation policies and optimizing environmental management practices in the area.
Dávila stressed that these findings could lead to further research into the remains found, which could be led by non-governmental organizations, foundations or international researchers. The goal would be to uncover the history behind these shipwrecks and shed light on historical events related to navigation and maritime transit in the region. This process could open up new possibilities for the conservation and study of Panama’s maritime history.