Thursday 5th September 2024.

News

September 4, 2024

Another attempt to regulate the appointment of notaries and the function they perform has emerged. The proposal recently reached the plenary session of the National Assembly by the independent deputy Jorge González López , from circuit 8-5 (Chilibre, Las Cumbres, Alcalde Díaz, Ernesto Córdoba Campos and Caimitillo).

The legislative initiative consists of 23 articles and clearly stipulates the functions, powers and requirements necessary for notaries to be appointed; it also includes guidelines for oversight and transparency.

Today, most notaries operate in the dark, with their own rules, and even function as political bastions for the parties that take turns in power.

Notaries’ offices certify the acts carried out by individuals, among other things; however, stamps and papers are lost there, they are not supervised, and in some cases they sign documents some time after leaving the post. Some have been the focus of scandals.

The bill proposed by González establishes eight requirements to be a notary, including residing in the district where he is appointed, having practiced law for 10 years either in the Judicial Branch, in the Public Prosecutor’s Office, in the Electoral Tribunal or in the Ombudsman’s Office. The person who wants the position will have to have a diploma in notarial law prior to taking office.

The draft bill also states that notaries will be appointed for a period of five years. This task will be carried out by a technical committee composed of the following persons:

A representative of the Office of the Attorney General.
A representative of the Judicial Branch.
A representative of the National Assembly.
A representative of the Ombudsman’s Office.
A representative of the National Bar Association.
A representative of the Citizen Alliance for Justice.
A representative of the Ecumenical Committee.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Government (Mingob) will be able to apply sanctions, supervise and monitor the notarial function. The draft law also says that every year, public notaries must deliver a copy of their national protocol to the National Archives, a document that may be physical or digital. The Government Innovation Authority, meanwhile, must create a digital system to automate and store notarial protocols.

The Ministry of Public Works must also audit the notary’s work, and if he fails to deliver the national protocol to the National Archives, he may be sanctioned with fines ranging from $5,000 to $50,000.

Last August, President José Raúl Mulino appointed 21 notaries. The list includes people who held high-ranking positions in the government of Ricardo Martinelli (2009-2014). Among them, Sergio González Ruíz , former director of the National Lottery of Charity, and the lawyer Héctor Santos Rudas, alternate deputy of the Central American Parliament (Parlacen) and close collaborator of the Martinelli Linares family.

Soccer players Oscar McFarlane, Lilio Mena and Rolando Gumbs were brought to the hearing on Wednesday afternoon, September 4, to be charged with alleged financial crimes and crimes against economic order, for manipulating matches in the Panamanian Football League (LPF) and the Prom League.

Mena, McFarlane and Gumbs were the first three arrested in Operation Garra, which took place on Tuesday, September 3, in the provinces of Coclé, Veraguas, Panama and Colón.

McFarlane, who was a goalkeeper for the national football team and made his debut in red in 2001, came to the hearing wearing a shirt with the image of Pablo Escobar on the back. He played professionally until around 2020.

Midfielder Mena played for Club Deportivo Universitario and San Martín FC

Meanwhile, Gumbs played as a forward for Sporting de San Miguelito, Umecit and Alianza FC. Senior prosecutor Emeldo Márquez, representing the First Prosecutor’s Office against Organized Crime, explained that the individuals could receive a sentence of 2 to 4 years.

Upon arriving at the headquarters of the Accusatory Penal System in Plaza Ágora, Mena said: “There is a God up there,” trying to make a sign with his fingers, while walking handcuffed.

Gumbs did not show his face. He got out of the Judicial Investigation Department van with his face covered. But as soon as he entered the offices of the Accusatory Penal System, he was forced to uncover his face.

Prosecutor Márquez explained that they paid between $2,500 and $4,500 to the footballers to influence the results of the matches.

The investigation began when the Panamanian Football Federation (Fepafut) reported irregularities in several matches of the Panamanian Football League (LPF) and the Prom League in 2023.

Dino Mon was confirmed on the afternoon of Wednesday, September 4, as the new director of the Social Security Fund (CSS) for the period 2024-2029.

The new director, who received 46 votes in favor and 22 against, replaces Enrique Lau Cortés as of October 1.

The deputies of the independent Vamos bench voted against. The PRD members Crispiano Adames and Arquesio Arias abstained.

Following the ratification, the President of the Republic, José Raúl Mulino , sent congratulations to Mon. “The Caja and the country have won an honest, knowledgeable and dedicated official,” he wrote to the president on the social network X.

With over 25 years of experience in risk management, health and pension insurance administration, and insurance systems transformation, Mon holds a Bachelor’s degree in Actuarial Science and a Master’s degree in Operations Research with a Specialization in Financial Optimization, both degrees obtained from the National Autonomous University of Mexico.

The CSS is the entity responsible for managing the public pension system in Panama and also offers health services to insured and retired people. With a staff of 31,356 employees and a budget of nearly $7 billion, it manages the largest payroll in the entire state apparatus.

The municipal councils of the district of Panama are in a critical situation. According to the councillors, the investment budget is practically non-existent, which prevents them from fulfilling their responsibilities in the various districts.

Luis Pérez, representative of the Pueblo Nuevo district , stressed that the lack of financing compromises the execution of community development projects and aggravates dissatisfaction among residents, who demand improvements in infrastructure and basic services.

“All of our projects have been on hold because we depend heavily on the investment budget for their development,” he said.

Each community council receives an annual sum of approximately $850,000, divided into three installments: in the months of February, April and June. These funds are specifically for projects related to social assistance, education, culture, infrastructure and housing.

So far, the local councils have only received the February batch.

According to the councillor of Pueblo Nuevo, they are aware that they are in a process of economic recovery, but they hope to have these resources in the coming weeks.

In addition, the president of the Panama City Council and mayor of El Chorrillo, Keira Navarro, has stated that two months of work have already passed and the communities do not understand why there are no resources.

“We are tied hand and foot without resources,” he said.

For his part, Mayor Mayer Mizrachi reiterated that the debt of the Municipality of Panama is $160 million and that the greatest challenge they are currently facing is administrative.

“It would be inappropriate for me to talk about megaprojects when the mega-project that needs to be done is to put the finances in order,” he said.

He also said that in six months not only citizens but also local councils will begin to notice the difference when their income is sustainable.

“Previously, the income received by the community councils came from debt,” concluded Mizrachi.

Colón Container Terminal (CCT) has added 12 new hybrid RTG (Rubber Tyred Gantry) units, representing an investment of $23 million, according to information that the port has provided to its clients through its networks.

The new hybrid cranes, manufactured by ZPMC, are capable of stacking up to five containers high, plus one additional, improving the operational efficiency of the port.

This increase in capacity not only reduces waiting times and operating costs, but also attracts new business, boosting economic growth in the region, the company said. In addition, they reduce dependence on hydrocarbons, thus contributing to mitigating the effects of climate change and reducing carbon dioxide emissions, according to Max Florez, director of Ports and Auxiliary Maritime Industries of the Panama Maritime Authority (AMP).

Electrical, mechanical and control tests, as well as routine checks on the tunnel boring machine, named “Panama”, are due to be completed by the end of September. Then, the tunnel excavation will begin, which is part of the construction project for Line 3 of the Panama Metro, which will begin on the west side of the Panama Canal.

The tunnel boring machine, located in the Farfán Industrial Complex, Arraiján district, West Panama, specifically in the attack shaft, is already installed at an initial depth of between 18 and 24 meters, and at its deepest point it will excavate up to 65 meters below the navigation channel of the Panama Canal.

The National Civil Protection System (Sinaproc) issued a warning of vigilance and caution in the event of significant rain and storms in much of the country until September 6.

The Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology of Panama (IMHPA) in its technical report stated that significant rainy events will occur accompanied by electrical activity and gusts of wind, due to the arrival and passage of Tropical Wave number 30, which will interact with the low pressure systems of the region and the Intertropical Convergence zone, generating a more unstable atmosphere.

The IMHPA also notes that mountainous regions of the country could experience rainfall totals of 75 mm to 150 mm, and coastal or low-lying areas could experience rainfall totals of 20 mm to 75 mm.

In this regard, the National Civil Protection System (Sinaproc) warned that caution must be exercised in the face of significant river flooding and flooding in urban and rural areas and landslides due to saturation of land.

The organization recommends:

Do not cross swollen rivers or ravines.
Keep an eye on your children, seniors and people with disabilities.
Keep an eye on Sinaproc’s official accounts.

Emergency lines:

520-4426/911/6998-4809