News
Tuesday 29th October 2024.
October 28, 2024
The Public Prosecutor’s Office (MP) is following the trail of the financial balances processed by the Comptroller General of the Republic (CGR) in favor of several State contractors, managed by the forensic firm of Odila Castillo ( Castillo, Guardia & Asociados Abogados ).
La Prensa was able to learn, through several sources linked to the process, that there is more than one investigation underway, in which anti-corruption prosecutors Mahmad Daud Hasan and Itzel Koo are participating.
One of these investigations was initiated by a complaint filed by Comptroller Gerardo Solís on April 11, although the first steps are only now being taken.
“I respect journalists and the Comptroller General’s Office. Today, a crime against public administration was hinted at, which I myself am asking to be investigated,” Solís said at the time, according to a statement issued that day by the Comptroller General’s Office. Solís refused to give details and the Comptroller General’s Office did not provide further information.
Last week, journalist Álvaro Alvarado was summoned by the prosecutor’s office to expand on information that he has shared on his radio programs and on social media. For example, on October 4, he wrote that he had received information about the existence of a “parallel audit” by several affected businessmen.
“This is a major issue, as very important projects are in danger because they have received the message that if they do not go through GO, they will shelve your accounts receivable,” he wrote on his account @AlvaroAlvaradoC on the X network.
Earlier, on March 8, 2022, Alvarado tweeted that there are two types of companies in the country: “those that go to Costa del Este and those that refuse to go to Costa del Este.” “Those that go to Costa del Este get paid quickly and those that don’t go to Costa del Este don’t get paid,” Alvarado wrote, citing the program Panama en Directo , which was broadcast at the time by the communicator Edwin Cabrera.
In Costa del Este, precisely, are Castillo’s offices, in the Financial Park building , where he bought four premises that he joined together to form the new headquarters of his offices, which were previously on Calle Cincuenta, in the building known as El Tornillo .
Castillo was an advisor to Comptroller General Solís between 2020 and 2021 and also a partner of Zenia Vásquez , General Secretary of the CGR.
As part of the investigation, it must be determined when Castillo began to manage claims on behalf of state contractors: whether he did so at the same time he was advising Solís or after leaving the Comptroller’s Office. However, there is evidence that he would have started while he was in the Comptroller’s Office, according to the documentation published by this media last September.
Solís is full of praise when referring to Castillo. He has said that she “is the one who best knows administrative law and public contracts,” and that La Prensa ’s publications tell “a wonderful success story.”
These publications describe Castillo’s feverish acquisition of properties since he left the Comptroller’s Office: a penthouse in Santa María, commercial premises in Costa del Este and in David (Chiriquí) and up to 11 apartments in the same building on Ricardo J. Alfaro Street. He has also paid for shares in a golf club, purchases in luxury boutiques and trips to ski and attend concerts in the United States. All this in less than three years.
This opulence contrasts with the income he received when he served at the Comptroller’s Office. In that entity, he obtained contracts for professional services as an “external legal advisor” of up to $31,500 in 2021, although he was working in the Comptroller’s Office in the previous months, according to records from the entity itself published online.
Former PRD deputy Zulay Rodríguez was charged this Monday, October 28, 2024, with the alleged commission of the crime of aggravated fraud in relation to the appropriation of gold sheets belonging to the deceased Mexican José Luis Penagos. Hours later, a judge ordered the case to be filed.
After a recess until 2pm at which time Edwin Aldeano, attorney for Juan David Penagos, explained that his client was willing to connect electronically with the court and give a clear explanation of the agreement reached with Zulay Rodríguez.
Penagos connected via Zoom and told the judge that he had spoken with Rodríguez and that they reached an agreement, so he decided to drop the complaint filed against the former deputy. He indicated that he was compensated financially, although the amount of the agreement was not revealed.
The judge asked Penagos if he had been threatened or pressured to reach the agreement, to which he replied no. He also asked him if he had been compensated financially and if he was satisfied with the negotiation, to which he replied yes.
For her part, prosecutor Elizabeth Carrión explained that, in the case of the crime of fraud, it is possible to reach a withdrawal agreement between the parties, and that she had no objections to this.
Meanwhile, attorney Félix Humberto Paz, Rodríguez’s defense attorney, requested that this withdrawal also be extended to the other three people accused of the same crime in a separate file. He alleged that it was a “rigged” case with which they tried to harm his client during the last electoral tournament, but that it has been proven that no crime was committed.
In relation to this case, there is a second investigation in which Álvaro Testa and Rafael Araúz , Rodríguez’s husband and partner, respectively, are involved, as well as Luz Eneida Canto , Araúz’s mother.
The story goes back to 2009, when goldsmiths José Luis Penagos and Luis Felipe Mendoza were detained upon arrival at Tocumen International Airport for failing to declare a load of gold sheets that had been confiscated from them. In 2013, Penagos hired lawyers Zulay Rodríguez and Rafael Araúz to recover the gold, but after some time, both lawyers claimed the sheets as payment for their legal services, to which Penagos’ family responded by filing a complaint with the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
Last weekend, an arsenal of firearms was stolen from the main offices of the Social Security Fund (CSS), located in Clayton.
According to preliminary reports, around 40 weapons, including shotguns, were stolen while they were in custody.
The incident occurred in the early hours of Sunday, when criminals overpowered security agents and took their weapons.
Following the incident, the CSS issued a statement in which it reported that the security protocols established for this type of situation had been activated and that the authorities had already begun the corresponding investigations.
CSS has also begun to implement additional measures to strengthen security at its facilities.
So far, no one has been arrested in connection with this case.
A total of 2,907 people have been arrested during Operation Panama 3.0, which began on October 10. Of this number, 1,734 were arrested on court orders, 296 in flagrante delicto, 708 for administrative offenses, 151 for micro-trafficking and 18 for drug trafficking.
Operation Panama 3.0 was presented as a strategy to strengthen security and combat organized crime, especially gang activities.
To date, 1,190 search and seizure proceedings have been carried out nationwide.
At a press conference, the National Director of Citizen Security, Commissioner Edgardo Núñez, said that in the 18 days of the operation, a 71% decrease in high-impact crimes has been achieved.
During the raids and operational actions, 109 firearms, $43,654.40 in cash, 1,894 packages of drugs, 38 vehicles recovered and seven were seized.
In addition, 25,833 traffic violations were imposed in joint maneuvers, including 5,023 for speeding, 1,074 for inadequate lights, 274 for cell phone use, 262 for expired licenses and 305 for proven drunkenness. Also, 1,252 vehicles were towed.
The operation includes interventions in conflict zones and involves 1,032 additional officers to the regular police force.
The mayor of the district of Panama, Mayer Mizrachi , has already found a replacement for Roberto Ruiz Díaz, as general secretary of the capital city, after accepting his resignation from the position.
Ruiz Díaz was replaced by Nelly Grimaldo, it was announced on Monday, October 28, 2024.
In the past, Grimaldo served as Director of Administrative Services at the Mayor’s Office. Between 2019 and 2023, she held the position of General Secretary at the National Secretariat for the Disabled of Panama (Senadis). In addition, she was Director of Social and Cultural Development at the National Lottery of Charity (2004-2008).
She has also held positions as Administrative Director and Project Director at Senadis (2008-2009), as well as at the Technical Secretariat of the Organization of American States.
In a significant act for Panamanian science, the independent Vamos party presented the $6 million post-election subsidy to the National Secretariat of Science, Technology and Innovation (Senacyt) .
The delivery was made by deputy Janine Prado, head of the bench, to Eduardo Ortega Barría, secretary of the Senacyt , who expressed his gratitude for the support provided.
During her speech, Congresswoman Prado stressed the importance of using public funds to benefit citizens. “We at Vamos consider that the amount of the subsidy is excessive, especially at this critical moment in the country. For this reason, we have decided to decline the total amount in favor of Senacyt to strengthen scientific research, especially in the fight against cancer,” she said.
Ortega Barría described this event as “historic,” highlighting that this donation represents a strategic investment for the future of Panama. “These funds will allow us to promote research projects that address crucial issues in health and technological innovation. We will mainly allocate this donation to a new program that will focus on cancer, creating databases, conducting epidemiological studies and promoting early diagnosis and innovative treatments,” said Ortega Barría.
Representative Prado continued to emphasize the party’s commitment to the country’s development. “We firmly believe that Panama’s future is built by investing in science, technology and innovation. This grant is a sign of our commitment to a country that promotes knowledge and research to solve the challenges we face,” she said.
The event, which took place at the Senacyt facilities, was attended by other deputies from the Vamos party, as well as directors and heads of Senacyt, and representatives of public interest associations.