Panama News

Panama: Calls made for Corruption Investigation

Story La Prensa

Aníbal Culiolis, secretary general of the Partido Popular, called for an investigation to be opened by the Public Ministry into allegations that former President Mireya Moscoso may have been involved in granting sweetheart deals to a gaming company that had connections to prominent politicians.

"Any act of illicit enrichment or corruption must be investigated," Cuñiolis said. "Irregularities in the management of public affairs can not go unnoticed."

Culiolis was referring to the case involving Silver Cup Gaming, which received licenses to operate several sports books and slot machine parlors in the country, apparently without paying any of the required fees. CIRSA, Silver Cup's parent company, later transferred ownership of 50 percent of Silver Cup to five Panama shell companies, many of which have ties to prominent politicians who were in power when the licenses were granted.

National Assembly President José Luis Varela also called for an investigation into the matter.

"We have to look in depth to see what has gone wrong in different governments," Varela said.



Users of Colón Free Zone Plan Tax Protest

Story La Prensa

The Users Association of the Colón Free Zone have announced a massive shutdown of companies operating in the area as a protest against the intention of President Ricardo Martinelli to raise taxes of firms doing business there.

Giovanni Ferrari, president of Users Association, said that the protest will take place Wednesday, and will bring to a halt the work of more than 2,600 companies that are located in the zone.
The action is being supported by the Coordinators of Freight Transport from Colón, whose leaders met with Ferrari Monday to discuss the issue.
Union head Oscar Grenald said that the protest is being supported because the tax proposal "will hurt the transport industry both directly and indirectly."

The Colón Chamber of Commerce has also joined the initiative.

Its president, George Ng, said the actions taken by the Users Association should be supported because the Free Zone is a "fundamental element" of the national economy.

The businesses within the Colón Free Zone employ about 30,000 people and generate sales of between $40 million and $50 million daily, according to the records of the Users Association.
Indigenous Chief Files Suit Against Former Health Director
The chief of the Ngäbe Buglé community of Nedrini, Rogelio Moreno, filed a complaint against Dr. Guillermo Guerra, former director of the Ngäbe Buglé Health Program, who served during the Martin Torrijos administration at its headquarters in San Félix.
Moreno, who was accompanied by President of the General Congress of Indigenous Peoples Mario Rodríguez presented the suit before the current Health Minister, Franklin Vergara and Comptroller Carlos Vallarino, calling for an investigation and audit into the program's management.
Moreno argued that doctors were paid $60,000 a month to provide 24-hour medical attention in health centers within the Ngäbe Buglé Comarca. However, Moreno said that these shifts were never followed through with, and patients requiring surgery were either transferred to a hospital in San Félix or in David, Chiriquí, since doctors refused to perform the work for which they were paid.
Additionally, the program allowed staff technicians to collect a 40 percent bonus for working at the Ministry of Health regional headquarters in San Felix, which Moreno considered an unjustified expenditure of funds intended to improve health care within one of the country's most impoverished regions.
And financial mismanagement was just part of Moreno's complaint. In a side issue, he claimed that program directors signed off on the purchase of six solar panels, purchased at $4, 662 each, only to be shelved and never used.