News
Wednesday 21st August 2024.
August 20, 2024
The judge of guarantees, Marlenis Boutet, rejected the request to affect the rights of Abraham Rico Pineda , one of the most wanted by the Panamanian authorities and son of the deputy of the Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD), Raúl Pineda , and the investigations in his case continue.
Pineda arrived on Tuesday, August 20, at a hearing requested by his defense and was handcuffed by agents of the Judicial Investigation Directorate (DIJ) of the National Police.
Pineda had requested a hearing because he believed his rights had been violated by publishing his name as part of a criminal drug trafficking structure. In addition, the presumption of innocence had been violated.
Judge Boutet said that the Public Prosecutor’s Office, by publishing Pineda’s face, did not violate his fundamental rights, since these are procedures that the law authorizes him to carry out.
With Judge Boutet’s decision, the prosecution against Pineda continues under the auspices of the Public Prosecutor’s Office, within Operation Jericho.
Following this first hearing, Pineda was transferred to the Judicial Investigation Department until the hearing on arrest, indictment and precautionary measures is requested.
Pineda arrived in the morning accompanied by at least three lawyers to the headquarters of the Accusatory Criminal System to participate in the hearing they had requested since last Sunday, August 18.
However, DIJ agents then proceeded to arrest Pineda, which led to an exchange of words between the lawyers and the authorities.
Pineda’s defense insisted that he should go to the hearing, but the agents proceeded to place handcuffs on him and transferred him to the DIJ headquarters for the corresponding process for the investigation that is being carried out for Operation Jericho .
He was then taken to the headquarters of the Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences to certify his health status.
In the morning, Judge Boutet, in charge of the hearing on the violation of rights requested by Pineda’s defense, sent a letter to the DIJ to have him transferred to the courtroom.
According to the investigation, the son of Congressman Pineda was the person in charge of handling the money. The network, according to the Drug Prosecutor’s Office, invested large sums of money to create companies. Through these companies, they received and sent money.
Pineda was also accompanied by his wife Maybel Araúz , former general secretary of the Agricultural Marketing Institute in the government of Laurentino Cortizo.
Before being transferred, Pineda complained that the handcuffs were too tight, while the officers asked him to move forward.
Among those who accompanied him was Isis León, wife of his father, Congressman Raúl Pineda.
Victor Orobio , one of the lawyers, said that Pineda’s due process was being violated, because in his opinion, before being captured, his client should have participated in a hearing on the violation of rights and then in a hearing on the imputation of charges .
The third Diagnosis of Forests and Other Wooded Lands 2023, from the Ministry of the Environment (Miambiente) , reveals an alarming environmental crisis in Panama, with the loss of 352,873 hectares of forests and other wooded lands in just two years.
The report highlights the urgency of protecting the country’s forest resources, as deforestation is advancing nationwide, with particular intensity in the provinces of Veraguas, Darién and Coclé .
Rodney Samaniego, head of the Remote Sensing Department at Miambiente, explained that deforestation, climate change and urban expansion have seriously affected forests, especially in Veraguas (37.6% forest loss), Darién (15.9%) and Coclé (18%).
Although 67.15% of Panamanian territory remains covered by forests and stubble, the loss of 352,873 hectares during this period represents a 4% reduction across the country.
Samaniego also mentioned that, until 2023, Panama had approximately 325,666.78 hectares of stubble and 4,737,067 hectares of forests.
The report underlines the importance of protecting stubble fields, which are regenerating areas with the potential to become secondary forests.
However, Panama’s forestry law does not provide adequate protection for stubble, which puts its value at risk in the fight against deforestation and ecological restoration in the country, he said.
For his part, the Minister of the Environment, Juan Carlos Navarro , indicated that “if anyone has doubts about the seriousness of the environmental crisis and deforestation, here is the proof in this technical and scientific report. I hope that we become aware of the seriousness of the environmental crisis that we are experiencing in Panama,” he said.
Navarro said they must double the speed at which they are working to address the country’s environmental crisis.
The Panamanian Association of Business Executives (Apede) called on the deputies of the National Assembly (AN) to “carefully examine the requirements and ideal profile of the person” who will be selected as the next Comptroller General of the Republic.
According to their statement, the election of comptrollers based on political agreements has weakened confidence in the oversight entities and, therefore, in the democratic processes and in the resources of all Panamanians.
The organization also points out that the next comptroller must have qualities that ensure efficient management, but, above all, that he “carries out his work with true integrity and independence, without the influence of political or economic interests.”
Another essential aspect that must characterize the next Comptroller, explains Apede, is his commitment to transparency, with a strategic vision, a fundamental pillar in public management, which encourages accountability and citizen participation.
This Tuesday, August 20, in the morning, the Vamos group of independent deputies began the interview process for candidates for Comptroller and Deputy Comptroller of the Republic.
This initiative by the independent faction of the Assembly is to better understand the profile of the candidates to lead the General Comptroller’s Office.
During the interviews, topics such as conflict of interest, independence of the comptroller, oversight, lack of internal controls, need for audits, improving statistical processes, possible changes or the repeal of Law 352 of 2022 that modified the organic norm of the institution were addressed.
The Comptroller appointed by the National Assembly will replace Gerardo Solís , who was appointed to the position on August 13, 2019 and will conclude his term in December of this year.
Solís has been strongly questioned for his management and last Monday, August 12, the deputy of the Movimiento Otro Camino (MOCA), Ernesto Cedeño, filed a criminal complaint against the comptroller, for the alleged commission of the crimes of abuse of authority and failure to fulfill public duties.
On Monday, August 19, the Assembly’s Credentials Committee began the process of verifying the requirements that must be met by candidates for comptroller and deputy comptroller.
The new Comptroller will take office on January 2, 2025.
Panama began repatriation flights on Tuesday, August 20, for migrants who entered the country illegally through the Darien jungle on the border with Colombia.
On this first flight, 29 migrants were repatriated to Colombia , including those who have no means of supporting themselves in the country and those who are detected with some type of pending case with authorities from other countries.
The flight departed from Marcos A. Gelabert Airport in Albrook and all the repatriated people are Colombian.
It was announced that two more flights are being scheduled, one of which will take place between Friday and Saturday of this week.
The repatriation action is part of a cooperation agreement between the governments of Panama and the United States, in which the financing of the flights is assumed by the American authorities.
Roger Mojica, director of Migration, reported that all these people have entered through the Darien border and have been segregated within the controlled flow that Panama carries out. Likewise, the profile of each person is investigated and biometric tests are applied.
“Many of those on the flight are people with criminal records in their country. The subject, who belongs to the Clan del Golfo, we understand is a hitman and has several homicide cases in Colombia,” said Mojica.
Regarding the repatriation of migrants of other nationalities, Mojica said that they are making arrangements and coordinating with the authorities of those countries.
In the case of Venezuelan migrants , the director of Migration said that due to the diplomatic situation with the government of that country, they are prevented from making any type of repatriation movement at the moment.
Regarding the number of irregular migrants who have entered through the Darien jungle, Mojica said that 230,000 travelers have entered and that so far in August there have been about 8,000.
The United States has allocated $6 million to begin repatriation flights, and Panamanian authorities have reported that the amount will depend on the flow of migrants and that more financial resources will be allocated later.