News
Wednesday 25th September 2024.
September 24, 2024
Deputies of the National Assembly condemned that the Ministry of the Presidency paid for 46 bariatric surgeries during the government of former President Laurentino “Nito” Cortizo (2019-2024), as La Prensa reported last week.
During the period of the AN’s incidents, deputies Jorge Bloise and Alexandra Brenes , both members of the independent coalition Vamos , asked the authorities to investigate the use of state funds to pay for gastric sleeve and bypass surgeries in private hospitals in the country.
“This is an aberration,” Bloise said in the legislative plenary session on Monday, September 23.
“Nito Cortizo should be in prison… It is a disgrace. In no country in the world would this go unnoticed. Here there must be consequences,” the deputy claimed.
For his part, Brenes submitted a request for information to President José Raúl Mulino , to find out who the beneficiaries of these surgeries are. The note was received this Tuesday at the Presidency.
He said that many of the people who underwent the operation earned salaries that allowed them to afford the procedure and asked that the money be returned to the State.
“There were people there who earned between $8,000, $4,000 and $3,000. Tell me if they don’t have enough money to be able to afford their surgery in private hospitals,” Brenes said.
“I agree that there must be consequences and that just as there are beneficiaries of financial aid who did not need it and are returning the money, they should also return the money for these bariatric operations,” he added.
La Prensa ‘s investigation revealed that the Ministry of the Presidency disbursed at least $711,288.64 to pay for bariatric surgeries to 46 people during the Cortizo administration (2019-2024).
The sleeve, bypass and gastric band procedures were performed in private hospitals in the country: 33 in Punta Pacífica , 8 in Panama Clinic , 3 in San Fernando , 1 in Paitilla and 1 in the National .
More than half of these surgical procedures were performed by the same surgeon. Moisés Chitrit Amar was in charge of performing the interventions on 25 of the 46 patients, in exchange for receiving $410,178.68 in funds from the Presidency.
Dr. Edgardo Saavedra operated on 14 people (a total of $182,090.22), and Ricardo Altieri on two ($33,429.29 in total). Doctors Alonso Alvarado ($13,981.16), Eliécer Tello ($20,487.37), Debbie Wong ($14,500), Luis Cárdenas ($16,455.17) and Guillermo Bailey ($20,166.75) each performed one surgery.
“We no longer deserve to live in this uncertainty, locked up at home and in fear,” were the words of Mayor Irma Hernández at a Council meeting focused on security issues.
In the presence of the 9 councilors and representatives of zones 11, 17 and 21 of the National Police, Hernández made an urgent call to increase police presence and reinforce surveillance strategies in the area.
“People in San Miguelito do not live, they survive. They live with a feeling of alertness and fear . There is no quality of life, no stability, well-being, harmony or peace,” the mayor said on Tuesday, September 24.
“After 60 years, it is time to take the necessary actions to stop being recognized as a red zone in the eyes of the country . If we want to impact security indicators, we must be where the problems are most present,” he said.
The mayor asked that San Miguelito be prioritized in investments aimed at security , emphasizing that any improvement in the district will only be visible if a sustained and concentrated effort is made.
“The biggest investments must be in this district. If we want to see improvements in the next five years, we have to concentrate on San Miguelito,” he added.
“It is necessary to purge the units in order to obtain different results. We need disciplined, serious, brave and courageous units. Here we have to face the problems head on.”
He also noted that while preventative action is essential, firm enforcement of the law by authorities is equally crucial. “Credibility, trust and respect for authority have been lost,” he said, urging that these values be restored.
As part of his proposal to improve security, Hernandez suggested that strategies that have yielded good results in other areas be taken as a reference and even mentioned Central America .
“The solution already exists, we just need to emulate what has worked in other sectors. The community feels protected and safe when they see the police on the streets. If necessary, let’s bring in units from Alfa, Senafront, Senan and Linces. I make this request because San Miguelito needs its force,” said the mayor.
The mayor also emphasized the need for more resources and to take advantage of existing facilities and the commitment of council members to keep areas clean and well-lit, as part of the comprehensive effort to provide greater security to residents. She also took a moment to mention the increase in car battery thefts and the high rates of femicides in the district of San Miguelito.
Finally, he asked for support to strengthen the municipal police so that the public force does not occupy itself with minor tasks, such as guarding fields or schools, but rather concentrates on the neediest areas of the district.
The unconstitutionality claim filed by former President Ricardo Martinelli against the 10-year prison sentence for money laundering in the New Business case, alleging violation of the principle of specialty, is still in the admission phase.
The draft decision to not admit the claim, prepared by Judge María Eugenia López Arias, who acts as rapporteur, was subject to observations from three judges: Cecilio Cedalise, Olmedo Arrocha and Carlos Vásquez Reyes.
Sources close to the case say that Cedalise, Vásquez and Arrocha agree in their objections that the claim of unconstitutionality should be admitted.
Cedalise and Vásquez believe that the appeal complies with the required formal elements, so the Court could analyze and debate the arguments presented by the former president’s lawyers.
While the objection presented by Arrocha is based on the fact that the Plenary should debate the aspects raised by Martinelli regarding the principle of specialty.
It was also learned that the issue will not be debated at the Court’s Plenary Session to be held next Thursday, since Judge López is traveling. In order to debate the admissibility of the complaint, it is necessary that the judge who filed the complaint be present at the discussion.
The lawsuit was filed by Carlos Carrillo, from Martinelli’s legal team, against the mixed sentence No. 02 of July 17, 2023, issued by the Second Liquidation Court of Criminal Cases, in charge of Baloisa Marquínez, which imposed a sentence of 10 years in prison on Martinelli and a fine of $19.2 million.
Carrillo’s claim is based on the fact that when the Special Prosecutor’s Office against Organized Crime began investigating the New Business case, his client was protected by the principle of specialty established in the 1904 extradition treaty between Panama and the United States.
This is not the first time that Martinelli has used the principle of specialty as an argument to avoid legal proceedings against him.
On March 9, 2021, the then Third Liquidation Court of Criminal Cases, also in charge of Baloisa Marquínez, denied an incident of nullity presented by Martinelli alleging the principle of specialty.
That first-instance decision was confirmed on July 19, 2021 by the High Court for the Liquidation of Criminal Cases and, on October 20, 2021, the Court did not admit an appeal filed against the court’s decision.
Furthermore, on July 25, 2022, a ruling by the Electoral Tribunal, signed by magistrates Alfredo Juncá, Heribero Araúz and Eduardo Valdés Escofery, alleged that Martinelli was no longer protected by the principle of specialty and his electoral criminal immunity was lifted.
Martinelli has been in the Nicaraguan embassy in Panama since February 7, claiming to be a political refugee.
The former president was extradited from the United States in 2018. That country has already said, on several occasions, that the principle of specialty does not apply to him.
The administrator of the Panama Maritime Authority (AMP), Luis Roquebert , will hold a meeting with the Secretary General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) , Arsenio Domínguez, to address issues related to Panama’s international maritime strategy.
The organization announced this in a statement, in which it details that Roquebert traveled to London on Saturday, September 21, 2024, to participate, together with high-ranking world authorities, in the plenary meeting of the IMO.
In addition, the ship will be present at other activities commemorating World Maritime Day, which this year is celebrated under the motto “Sailing in the future: safety first”.
Roquebert, who is a member of the permanent mission of Panama to the IMO, will also participate in the second joint Symposium between the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the IMO on extreme marine weather events.
On Monday, September 23, the official is scheduled to participate in the intersessional meeting on Climate Change, which will take place during the IMO plenary session, a meeting that will last three days.
According to AMP, the director is scheduled to visit senior British government officials, ship owners, managers and operators. The agenda includes meetings with federations, shipowners, shipping companies, cruise lines and other industry players.
Dana Castañeda, president of the National Assembly, addressed this Tuesday, September 24, questions related to the exemptions of automobiles to deputies and the payrolls within the legislature.
According to Castañeda, if the officials do not perform their work, they will not receive any payment. In fact, he recalled that the payrolls, previously known as “172” and “080” , have been eliminated in an effort to clean up and simplify the remuneration system.
In the context of tax benefits, Castañeda also proposed a review of the vehicle tax exemption regime, arguing that such privileges should be limited to work cars that deputies use to fulfill their obligations.
His statements to the media followed a meeting he held with representatives of the National Authority for Transparency and Access to Information at the National Assembly.
“We believe, and I think it is the opinion of all, that a deputy who is going to buy a car, which we know is expensive, does not require a tax exemption,” he said.
Over the past five years, 57 principal deputies (of which 38 are still in office) and 33 substitutes spent $5.3 million on the import of 116 vehicles for personal use, taking advantage of the tax exemptions provided for in the internal regulations of the National Assembly.
According to Castañeda, the spirit of the law was to exempt work cars, which are what the deputy permanently uses to get to his communities and carry out his work.
“We are also willing to make some changes to the internal regulations,” he said.
Castañeda also highlighted that the National Authority for Transparency and Access to Information (Antai) website contains information on the payroll, representation expenses and travel expenses of officials, among other data.
Regarding criticism that the Assembly is seen as an opaque and closed entity, the president of the legislature reiterated that efforts are being made to ensure openness and interaction with society.
Finally, he argued that the Assembly is waiting for the Executive’s proposal to begin the process of revising the budget, which will be crucial to determining spending priorities for next year.