Monday
Tuesday 17th December 2024.
December 16, 2024
Investigations into the alleged links between the Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD) deputy Raúl Pineda and the criminal organization dismantled in the framework of Operation Jericho are ongoing.
Supreme Court Justice Olmedo Arrocha explained on December 16 that the full court has decided to assign him the case as rapporteur, which implies an exhaustive analysis of the documents sent by the Public Prosecutor’s Office . Last week, the court received 51 volumes from the Public Prosecutor’s Office, which must be read and studied thoroughly.
Arrocha stressed that his work will focus on identifying the possible connection of the deputy with the events under investigation, without getting involved with the individuals mentioned in the file.
Although the documents contain relevant information, the magistrate stressed that the investigation will be limited to elements that may link the accused to the criminal organization that was dismantled.
Regarding the decision taken last July , the judge recalled that the file was returned to the Public Prosecutor’s Office due to a defect in the chain of custody of the audios. However, after receiving the transcripts of said audios, the court has reopened the case.
Operation Jericho , which began on June 30, 2023, has led to the arrest of 37 people linked to a criminal network and the seizure of three tons of drugs.
On December 3, the Public Prosecutor’s Office submitted an extension of the indictments to the Court, mentioning the alleged involvement of Congressman Raúl Pineda , father of Abraham Rico Pineda , in the case. The indictments include transcripts of telephone conversations that are related to money laundering activities .
In total, 37 people are under indictment in the framework of the operation, including Rico Pineda , who remains under provisional detention in the Mega Joya prison for the crime of money laundering. Maybel Araúz , Rico Pineda’s partner, was also recently indicted for the same crime.
Investigations began on June 30, 2023, when a criminal network dedicated to drug trafficking and money laundering was detected.
These statements were made by Judge Arrocha during a training event organized by the Judicial Branch , in which the implementation of the new Civil Procedure Code was addressed .
The Judicial Branch began this Monday, December 16, the training process to prepare around 500 judicial officials in the implementation of the new Civil Procedure Code , which will come into force on October 9, 2025, in accordance with Law 402 of 2023.
The inaugural course includes seven modules covering topics such as oral proceedings in civil justice, alternative dispute resolution mechanisms, expert evidence, collective proceedings and case management.
María Eugenia López, president of the Supreme Court of Justice (SCJ), urged justice operators to rethink their practices and focus on the needs of the system’s users.
“The implementation of the new civil procedure code represents a commitment to a more accessible and agile justice model that is in line with the principles of oral proceedings, speed and transparency,” he stressed.
For his part, Judge Olmedo Arrocha, president of the First Civil Chamber and coordinator of the modernization process, emphasized the importance of adequately preparing judicial actors to face change.
“The new model introduces a new dynamic, which is oral communication, and this requires sufficient skills and capabilities to effectively take on this challenge,” he said.
The event was attended by the Minister of Government, Dinoska Montalvo; the First Vice President of the National Assembly, Didiano Pinilla Ríos; and the Ombudsman, Eduardo Leblanc González, among others.
The inaugural ceremony, held in the Herbert de Castro auditorium of the City of Arts, in Llanos de Curundu, marked the beginning of the “Course on Civil Justice Reform in the Americas for the Judicial Branch of Panama.”
Martín Pereyra Rozas , who until a few days ago served as general manager for Latin America at Pandora, was removed from his position following an internal investigation conducted by the Danish company’s head office in Denmark, according to information published by the Argentine media outlet Perfil .
According to the outlet, Pereyra, of Argentine origin, was fired after returning from a trip to Thailand, organized by the company, which brought together more than 200 guests, including about 100 influencers from Latin America.
The media outlet details that he entered at 9:00 am, but a few hours later he left the facilities located in Panama City, accompanied by eight security agents.
Pereyra Rozas’ departure was accompanied by the dismissal of eight other company executives.
Pandora’s investigation has reportedly detected irregularities, including possible overbilling in marketing costs and an alleged close relationship between Pereyra Rozas and a travel agency hired by the company for its events.
In addition, personal expenses paid with corporate cards are noted as part of the findings.
Luciana Marsicano , current vice president of Pandora Canada, will serve as general manager for Latin America .
In Panama, the company found itself in the eye of the storm a couple of years ago, in 2020, when Rina Aswani accused Rajesh Mohinani, who was her husband, of domestic violence and of appropriating the Pandora, Thomas Sabo, HeartsonFire and MG Joyeros stores.
According to Aswani, she was the real owner of the stores that were managed by Mohinani Group, Pandora’s main operating group in Latin America.
On July 18, 2022, Mohinani Group sued the company in the United States for breach of contract, wrongful termination of contract, and unfair practice, among other things.
The lawsuit explains that the person who carried out the maneuver was the general manager of Pandora Latam, Martín Pereyra Rozas.
Mohinani Group said at the time that Pereyra “hatched a scheme to steal the multi-million dollar network of Pandora stores” operated by the plaintiff for his own benefit “without paying fair compensation for the stores.”
On June 7, 2022, Pandora announced that it was ending its business relationship with the group.
The Panamanian Chamber of Solar Energy expressed its concern regarding the proposal presented by the National Authority of Public Services (ASEP), which would introduce regulatory changes for residential and commercial users who generate energy with solar panels, which could be interpreted as a “tax on the Sun.”
In a letter sent to ASEP, to which La Prensa had access , the Chamber warns that the measure poses economic, social and environmental risks for the development of renewable energy in Panama.
They argue that the new scheme being implemented discourages the use of solar panels by direct customers, who are connected to the Ensa or Naturgy electricity distribution network, and who have been able to install solar panels on the roofs of their homes or establishments.
“The proposed net billing scheme, combined with a dual-rate tariff, will significantly increase fixed costs for users who have invested in distributed generation systems,” says the note, signed by Juan Andrés Navarro, president of the Solar Energy Chamber.
This is a change in the billing mechanism for energy generated by the customer’s panels versus the rate that the distribution company would charge the customer. Currently, companies credit equally the kilowatt hour of energy generated by the customers’ panels versus the one they consume from the grid.
The proposed model, the Chamber adds, “reduces economic incentives for self-consumption, lengthening investment recovery periods and discouraging new installations.”
Over the past 10 years, there has been an increase in the number of self-consumption customers or those generating with solar panels in Panama. The number of self-consumption customers rose from 13 in 2014 to 3,325 this year, and the installed capacity was 102,268 kilowatts (KW). Current regulations allow a cap on self-consumption generation of up to 3% of the total system.
Under the current system, customers have a bidirectional meter, installed by Ensa or Naturgy, which records the energy that the solar panels inject into the system, and also measures the energy that the customer consumes from the grid. To make the monthly billing, the distribution companies discount the kilowatt hours generated from the amount of kilowatts consumed. The customer only pays for the additional kilowatts consumed from the grid. If the generation with the panels was greater, the distribution company recognizes only up to 25% of the additional production.
The statement by the solar industry association comes after the presentation of a consultancy carried out by ASEP to determine the acceptable percentage for the penetration of clean energy in Panama, particularly solar energy. This consultancy is developed through three forums presented to the regulator and the system agents. The presentation of a third chapter on the calculations, findings and recommendations is pending, scheduled for January 2025.
“The current net metering scheme has proven to be an efficient and equitable instrument to encourage distributed generation in Panama. However, it is contradictory to propose regulatory changes when current conditions already face multiple barriers that hinder the development of this sector,” the note states.
The National Institute of Statistics and Census (INEC) of the Office of the Comptroller General of the Republic reported on Monday, December 16, that between January and September of this year the economy grew by 2.1%.
This growth in gross domestic product (GDP), compared to the same period in 2023, reached $58,807.2 million, which represents an absolute increase of $1,202.7 million in this macroeconomic indicator.
According to INEC data, the third quarter of 2024 showed a percentage increase of 2%, reaching a value of $20,161.5 million.
In addition, it is noted that in this third quarter, growth is due to components related to the domestic economy, such as: wholesale and retail trade, due to sales of marine fuel at 11.2%, food and beverages at 2% and car sales at 13%.
Land transport also stands out with a 2.4% increase in passengers mobilized on the Panama Metro , as well as a 5.3% increase in capacity on the corridors; infrastructure construction by 14.8% and financial services by 7.2%.
Regarding the added value of trade with world trade, the Panama Canal operations stand out with a 6.5% increase in tolls, port operations with a 15.7% increase in container movement, re-exports from the Colon Free Zone with a growth of 15.2% and banana and fish exports with increases of 3.0% and 29.4%, respectively.
The INEC report also highlights that the closure of copper mine operations slowed down overall performance.