News
Wednesday 15th May 2024.
May 14, 2024
Ricardo Martinelli ‘s former secretary , Adolfo Chichi De Obarrio , who currently lives in Italy after that country’s justice system denied his extradition to Panama in 2021, has denounced his ex-wife for the alleged kidnapping of their daughter.
The minor, although born in Italy, resides in Panama with her mother Yvette Barsallo .
As he himself announced in his account on the social network X, the hearing of the process will take place on July 11 in Milan.
“I always said I wanted to be prosecuted in this country [Italy] where neither the judges nor the MP [Public Ministry] receive orders from anyone. July 11 will be the hearing of the first Trial where you can hear and see the evidence of things as they really happened. Without agreements or exchanges under the table” (sic), wrote De Obarrio.
Gabriele Minniti, De Obarrio’s lawyer, warned that there is currently no precautionary measure against his client, after he was captured and imprisoned in 2021 in Milan, at the request of the Panamanian authorities. De Obarrio was released shortly after, because Panama’s National Assembly never ratified the bilateral extradition treaty with Italy. The Assembly resisted approving that treaty, precisely to protect De Obarrio. The Italian Senate, however, did ratify it.
In Panama, De Obarrio has pending sentences to serve: in March 2023, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison for money laundering in the so-called Blue Apple case .
Read the note here “Court sentences Adolfo ‘Chichi’ De Obarrio to 120 months in prison”
For her part, Yvette Barsallo said she was unaware of the details of the complaint filed against her in Italy and stressed that she has not received any notification in that regard
Barsallo explained that the Panamanian justice system ruled in his favor in the process of returning his daughter and that this decision was notified to the Italian authorities, through the Foreign Ministry. He insisted that he is unaware of any further legal action regarding his daughter’s situation.
The deputy and president of the Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD) , Benicio Robinson, denied this Tuesday, May 14, that they are holding meetings with the next group of the Realized Goals (RM) party to control the National Assembly.
Prior to a meeting of the Budget Commission, Robinson stressed that as a bench they have met to analyze the different scenarios and that any decision will be announced on July 1, when the new period is established.
However, news has spread on social networks that deputies from the PRD and RM would have been seen at the Golden Unicorn restaurant, located in the same tower where Robinson has his private offices.
Regarding the voices that demand the resignation of the National Executive Committee (CEN) , which he presides, Robinson indicated that he believes in a “renewal,” but also described as “traitors” those who question his role within the PRD.
“We know how to take our hit and that it has been a hard blow for the PRD, but what we are not going to allow is that those who put on the caps of other parties come to question those who were there and those who are there,” said the deputy.
As for which seat he would occupy, whether that of the National Assembly or that of the Central American Parliament, he reported that he is analyzing it although also that he will give his son Benicio Robinson Jr. the opportunity within the legislative plenary session.
“We have fallen and we have gotten up. I am sure that we are going to get up, but I do believe that there must be a restructuring of the PRD, not only from the top down but from the bottom up,” he pointed out.
Deputy Crispiano Adames became the first to formally resign from the leadership of the ruling Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD) after the harsh defeat suffered by the political group in the last elections.
Through a note addressed to the PRD leadership, Adames formalized his resignation from the position of first vice president, a position he has held since May 2022.
He indicated that the decision was made “after deep reflection on the results of the last elections.”
He noted that he is convinced that it is necessary to “promote a renewal and restructuring that restores legitimacy to the leadership, in the face of such a harsh and instructive defeat.”
According to Adames, they cannot ignore that the party “has lost its compass” and its essence founded on the “Torrijista” principles of solidarity and humility.”
He maintained that the consequences of this “unprecedented defeat” are still unknown and place them in a situation of extreme vulnerability.
“With my resignation from the position of first vice president, which I will reiterate before the corresponding authorities, I once again make an urgent call to the bases, structures and senior leadership to carry out an act of political contrition and internal debate that promotes a change of direction in the leadership of the PRD,” he said.
The PRD came in sixth position with its presidential candidate, José Gabriel Carrizo, in the May 5 elections. In addition, it achieved 13 deputies in the Assembly.
The Vice Minister of Economy and Finance (MEF), Carlos González , admitted that the payroll was increased in this administration as the reports indicate.
However, he defended the decision. “Yes, the payroll was increased, but they don’t say where,” she said.
Personnel was increased in the Ministry of Health, “hiring doctors, nurses and a team of people who help” and which was required at the time, especially in the Covid-19 pandemic, he said.
It also increased in the Ministry of Education, due to “the complaint that there was” due to the lack of people in schools. Likewise, the form was uploaded in the Ministry of Security because “it was accused that security was not provided to the people,” said González, who went to the Budget Commission of the Assembly this Tuesday, May 14, to support a departure transfer. for about $650 million.
The independent deputy Juan Diego Vásquez questioned it. He said that what the vice minister did not mention was the constant increase in the payroll in the National Assembly.
He indicated that the Government preferred to inflate the payroll rather than allocate money to the Panama Savings Fund. “It is a shame to decide not to save and now they bring 600 million dollars in transfers to make payments,” added the deputy.
According to the Comptroller General of the Republic, as of March 31, which marked the end of the first quarter of the year, the state payroll had 255,360 officials.
The figure represents an increase of 2% when compared to that reported a month earlier (February 2024). A percentage that seems low, but the reality is that, in one month, 5,089 workers entered the government machinery.
At least nine people were arrested this Tuesday by the authorities for the alleged commission of the crime of electronic fraud, related to the “Digital Scholarship” program of the Institute for the Training and Use of Human Resources (Ifarhu) .
Among those arrested are several merchants of Chinese descent.
This network operated in various parts of the country and carried out “illegitimate operations” in various locations, causing an injury of approximately half a million dollars, reported prosecutor Adleyn Sánchez.
The Public Ministry reported that in “Operation Password3,” carried out in the provinces of Panama, Panama Oeste and Chiriquí, they also seized allegedly counterfeit firearms and collected electronic devices related to the fraud.
A criminal network that laundered at least $2 million from the trafficking of Chinese migrants was dismantled by the Public Ministry through Operation Asia, in which five people were arrested.
During investigations carried out by the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office against Organized Crime in the provinces of Bocas del Toro, Coclé and Panama, front men of the criminal network were located, who were dedicated to the purchase of real estate, luxury cars and carried out commercial activities with funds from migrant trafficking.
The investigation revealed that migrants were recruited in China through social networks and paid up to $23,000 to travel by plane to Costa Rica and then clandestinely enter Panama.
The prosecutor against organized crime, Emeldo Márquez, explained that the preceding crime in this case is the trafficking of migrants carried out between 2017 and 2019, where the illegal transfer of several people from China was detected.
In the operation, the prosecutor’s office seized four vehicles with a value of $203 thousand, two properties valued at $350 thousand, four fixed installments for an amount of 850 thousand, 15 bank accounts with $916 thousand.
Prosecutor Marquez stated that this criminal network was located thanks to intelligence information that revealed the operational structure of this migrant trafficking network.
He also explained that the migrants had Panama as their final destination, where they were engaged in commercial activities.
He reported that the traceability of the money revealed that the funds were sent from China via Ecuador, Peru and then Panama as payment.
For his part, the police commissioner, Sergio Delgado, explained that a large amount of electronic equipment, documents and cell phones were collected that could link other people to this criminal network.
The Cartí Sugdupu Island (Gardí Sugdub) in the Guna Yala region has its days numbered. This island will be one of the first to disappear in the country as a result of rising sea levels and with this event, the community that has lived there for decades will be the first in Latin America to be officially displaced by climate change.
The move of the first part of the inhabitants of Cartí Sugdupu will begin on June 1, after the Nuevo Cartí project , built on dry land, was inaugurated on May 29 of this year.
This was reported by the Ministry of Housing and Territorial Planning (Miviot) by detailing that the 300 families with approximately 1,200 people are projected to be relocated to the new homes of 40.96 square meters, in a total land area of 300 square meters each resettlement.
Miviot reported that each home will have two bedrooms, a living-dining room, a bathroom and a laundry room.