News
Wednesday 17th August 2022.
August 17, 2022
The Superior Court of Liquidation confirmed a conviction of the Third Liquidator Court of Criminal Cases in which a sentence of 48 months in prison was applied to former Minister of Social Development Guillermo Ferrufino for the commission of the crime of corruption of a public official. Through Edict No. 722, posted on the morning of this Tuesday, August 16, at the headquarters of the Third Liquidator Court, the parties were informed of the decision made by the Superior Court of Appeals through Resolution No. 76 of July 22, 2022. On March 14, the Third Liquidator Court sentenced the former minister to 48 months in prison and two other people to 36 months for corruption of a public official for the irregular acquisition of a vehicle.
The Department of Epidemiology of the Ministry of Health (Minsa) confirmed this Tuesday, August 16, 2022, the fourth case of monkeypox in the country. This is a man, 25 years old, foreigner but resident in Panama. This patient had contact, on July 26 and outside the country, with a person who tested positive for monkeypox, the report detailed. This patient began the symptoms with fever, which occurred on August 12; the next day multiple vesicular lesions appeared on his anatomy. On August 15, he went to the Parque Lefevre polycenter, where the corresponding samples were taken and sent to the Gorgas Commemorative Institute for Health Studies, where the result came back positive. According to the Minsa, this patient is in home isolation since his physical condition is good.
95% of the premises affiliated with the National Union of Pharmacy Owners (Unprofa) kept their doors closed this Tuesday. This, as a protest measure against the entry into force of Executive Decree No. 17 of August 10, 2022, which set a 30% discount on a group of 170 medications. “We are not closed because we want it that way, it is that there is no reason to open,” said Orlando Pérez, president of Unprofa, which brings together 450 pharmacies in the country. “We can’t buy medicine for $100 and sell it for $70,” he remarked. Pérez said that they expect a prompt solution to the problems that small and medium-sized pharmacies have today before the entry into force of the aforementioned decree of August 2022.
Samuel Moreno, director of the National Institute of Statistics and Census (Inec), declared that Panama will begin its population and housing censuses on January 8, 2023 and will last until March 4. According to Moreno, the total cost of the population and housing censuses will be 54.7 million dollars and he clarified that 20 million dollars have already been used to purchase equipment. This time the motto will be “This year opens the door to the census” and will begin to recruit enumerators from the month of November. Moreno explained that 7,000 enumerators will be required and their training will begin in December.
The total amount stolen from the branch of the National Bank of Panama (BNP) on Calle 26 Calidonia was 678 thousand dollars. This was announced this Tuesday, August 16, 2022 by the general manager of the BNP, Javier Carrizo Esquivel, about the final audit that ended last night. When referring to the theft, Carrizo Esquivel said that there were some flaws that the criminals identified. These are some “weaknesses” in the alarm system, he added. “It was a very well planned job,” said the official. He commented that the criminals could have entered the place through a duct that “was reinforced in the original design” of this branch, inaugurated in 1972. “They went to the right places, it was studied,” he said.
The measure to freeze fuel prices for individuals has been in place now for a month as of Monday, and the government has already subsidized some $40.5 million, according to AIG figures. According to data released by the Authority for Government Innovation (AIG), between July 15 and August 15, 2022, 4.23 million transactions have been carried out, reflecting a total consumption of $133.7 million and an amount to subsidize of $40.5 million. . In addition, it is specified that 744 thousand 13 private vehicles have used the benefit that the State is providing. It should be noted that there have been two subsidized fuel prices (91 and 95 octane gasoline and diesel); from July 15 to 18 it was $3.95 per gallon and as of the afternoon of July 18 it is $3.25. This fuel subsidy measure will last for three months, extendable, and the funds available to the Government for this amount to around 200 million.