Moderator_02
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Gucci Lady December trial
Zulema SucrePost Views: 188A FORMER Vice Minister of Social Development who gained notoriety in January 2016 as the “Gucci lady” will face trial for alleged embezzlement on December 15, with an alternative date of December 21.The dates were set by by 16th Criminal Court Judge Enriquez Perez.
A La Prensa cartoonist’s take on the Gucci dog scandal
Zulema Sucre, who has been under country arrest since August last year became a media and social network celebrity when she was accused by one of her security escorts of ordering him to perform tasks that were far from his functions like taking her pet dog, Gucci, whom she deemed a VIP for walks several hours a day in a public park in the capital city.
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Moderator comment: stunning statistics about the quantity of cocaine being seized just in Panama.
QuotePanama is on pace for record drug seizures this year, and the president has blamed Colombia's cocaine boom
PANAMA CITY (Reuters) - Panama is on track to hit a record level of illegal narcotics seizures this year after authorities over the weekend seized about 2 metric tons of cocaine near the Central American country's border with Colombia, officials said on Monday.
A national police member destroys drug packages before incinerating them in Panama City, July 23, 2015.REUTERS/Carlos Jasso
The total drug confiscations in full-year 2017 are expected to surpass the previous annual record of 72 metric tons confiscated last year, Security Minister Alexis Bethancourt told reporters, adding that the uptick is due to better coordination among local law enforcement agencies as well as help from "friendly countries."
The weekend drug bust was made in the border province of Darien on a boat from Colombia, the national border agency SENAFRONT said at a press conference.
Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela has previously complained that a peace deal between the Colombian government and the Marxist FARC rebel group has led to a spike in drug trafficking and violence in Panama.
Colombia's production of coca, the base ingredient in cocaine, hit a low in 2012, around the time the country's government began peace talks with the FARC. Between 2013 and 2016, coca cultivation increased 134% — though that spike was driven by a variety of factors outside the peace process, which was concluded with a deal at the end of 2016.
(Reporting by Elida Moreno, writing by David Alire Garcia; editing by G Crosse)
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“Blue Apple” latest corruption scandal
Kenia PorcellPost Views: 221A NEW corruption scandal has erupted in Panama following the Panama Papers and Odebrecht bribery revelations to further damage the country’s reputation.
La Prensa’s take on the juggling act of the AG
It has landed on the overcrowded desk of Panama’s Attorney General, Kenia Porcell, who confirms that she is investigating the alleged payment of bribes between construction companies, public officials and representatives of the administration.
She told media on Friday, Dec.1 that there is strong evidence in the complex “Blue Apple” case and will provide more details as the investigation progresses, but avoided giving more details in order to shield the evidence,
President Juan Carlos Varela emphasized categorically that the Public Ministry should be allowed to do its work, although his administration is under stress as more details emerge of money received from Odebrechtby his Panamenista Party.
The new research is targeting construction companies, both Panamanian and foreign. In this case, but the great absentee is Odebrecht that is not on the list of companies that the Public Prosecutor has in this file, according to information to which La Estrella de Panamá had access.
Blue Apple Services Inc., opened more than five accounts in Panamanian banks in which the group of constructors deposited almost $ 40 million.
The triangulation scheme through the company managed to channel $ 39.6 million in alleged bribes for direct contracts and for tenders. The money, once again, would have passed without alerts throughout the Panamanian banking system, according to a judicial source.
Ongoing investigations show that part of the funds would have been reinvested in properties like cars, beach houses and luxury residential projects in the capital city.
The list includes companies that have names related to the entertainment industry, casino and agricultural consultants.
The Public Ministry is seeking how the funds were destined to these investments and the names of the officials who finally received the money through what is also known as the ‘blue apple scandal’.
The documents of the Public Ministry reveal the names of the Panamanians behind Blue Apple Services. The Public Registry shows that that the directors are Federico Antonio Barrios, Darla Alain, César Elías Quintero, Juan Alexis Rodríguez and Edwin Domínguez. Barrios is a director at the law firm Federico Barrios, which is also being investigated by the Public Ministry.
Blue Apple was created on May 3, 2003, and for each contract with the State, the company in charge paid 10% of the amount contracted.
http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/blue-apple-latest-corruption-scandal
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Moderator comment: I suspect this article should read that the confirmation was on December 3rd.
QuoteChild‘s death from meningitis confirmed
Post Views: 72The death of a child under 15 years of age due to pneumococcal meningitiswas confirmed on Sunday, November 3 by The Ministry of Health (Minsa),The child lived in the district of Guararé, in the province of Los Santos.
According to reports from the Ministry, the minor was admitted to the hospital Joaquín Pablo Franco Sayas, where he died on November 28. The lab confirmed that he had pneumococcal meningitis.
Health authorities inspected the area where the adolescent lived and launched a vaccination program in the district.
http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/childs-death-meningitis-confirmed
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Following New Business money trail nets $1.3 million
Pipo Virzi accused in multiple corruption casesPost Views: 93Following the money in the case known as New Business has so far managed to trace some $1.3 million.The First Specialized Prosecutor’s Office against Organized Crime is tracking
the trail of accounts and companies linked to the purchase of the Editora Panamá América, S.A. with public money syphoned from an overpriced highway project during the Martinelli administration.
The money, according to judicial sources that requested anonymity, was located in different banking accounts in Panama and overseas reports La Prensa.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office has charged 31 people, for alleged money laundering. The prosecution is also following 26 companies that would be linked to the crime.
Of that group, 15 have been identified in Panama and the rest in different international jurisdictions.
Prosecutor David Mendoza has asked for judicial assistance to complete his research, from the United Kingdom, Switzerland and the People’s Republic of China.
Among those investigated are , several of them involved in other corruption investigations case are the merchants Daniel Ochy, David Ochy, Dina Ochy, Felipe Pipo Virzi, Gabriel Btesh, Mike Btesh, Danny Cohen, Moussa Daniel Levy, Gonzalo Germán Gómez, Riccardo Francolini, Leo David Cohen, Solomon Btesh, Jack Btesh, Angel Frames, Nadin Bhakta, Ori Zbeda Levy, Aaron Mizrachi and Tse Yum Ling, and the ex-directors of the defunct Financial Pacific FP brokerage Ivan Clare and West Valdés, as well as former employees of FP, Mayte Pellegrini and Óscar Rodríguez.
In an August 25, ruling of the eighteenth criminal judge, Baloisa Marquínez, refused to rule the case complex. Mendoza appealed the decision and the Second Criminal Superior Court, determined that New Business is a complex cause, since “it brings together budgets of organized crime, accordingly (…) “.
Judge Wilfredo Sáenz Fernández, granted him one year – extendable – to continue gathering evidence. According to judicial sources, 10 of the accused have fled the country and the prosecution does not know their whereabouts.
http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/following-new-business-money-trail-nets-1-3-million
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There is another topic about this unique facility. Please see:
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Judge quashes scandal brokerage probe
The FP founders Valdes, and Clare and PellegriniPost Views: 154AN INVESTIGATION into alleged use of insider information by the scandal-ridden Financial Pacific (FP) brokerage with links to alleged stock manipulation has been dismissed.Baloisa Marquínez, acting as deputy special judge said “that there is no expert report of a forensic audit that evidences the damage caused, to establish who could be possibly affected and the amount of the injury caused … Also, there are no imputed people duly linked to the fact investigated.”
Marquínez acts as special judge attached to the Seventeenth Criminal Court. the ruling is dated June 14 But has only now been released.
The Public Ministry had requested that the case be declared complex, but the request was denied by the Court.
The complaint was filed in September 2015 by the Superintendency of Values (SMV), to investigate how former President Ricardo Martinelli, his children and relatives allegedly manipulated the stock market to obtain benefits with the purchase of Petaquilla Gold shares, through Financial Pacific.
According to the complaint of the SMV, several investment accounts like “High Spirit” managed by FP were used to sell and buy Petaquilla Gold shares, using privileged information, while Martinelli was in office (2009-2014) and laws were promoted that favored the mining industry.
Mayte Pellegrini, a former employee of FP, said that in the brokerage opened a secret account called High Spirit linked to the then President Martinelli. to manipulate the stock market with the actions of Petaquilla.
http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/judge-quashes-scandal-brokerage-probe
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Panama scrambles to access frozen black funds
Post Views: 215THE LIQUIDATION of The Private Bank of Andorra (BPA), which was used to hide scores of millions of bribery dollars for Panamanians linked to the Odebrecht scandal, including the sons of ex-president Ricardo Martinelli has $190 million frozen.That includes $70 million in deposits and another $60 million in fixed income. In turn, the bank had deposits of $ 100 million, $60 million of these frozen in Andorra and $40 million in Panama. To guarantee the return of client funds, the liquidators of both entities in Panama must have access to money frozen by Andorrans reports La Prensa.
Marelissa Quintero, Superintendent of the Panama Securities Market, indicated that in view of the need to complete the BPA settlement as soon as possible, they made an official visit to Andorra in October to seek operational agreements and redouble efforts in order to do more to reach the blocked assets.
Media reports in Madrid said that “In its day BPA was one of the symbols of the international expansion of the financial sector of the Pyrenean country and ended up becoming the image of the worst practices in the industry, after the United States accused it of laundering the money from international crime network. One of its longest arms was the one that crossed the Atlantic Ocean to Panama.”
“Panama, in fact, underlines that the decision to liquidate the firm is taken before the administrative silence of the Andorran authorities, responsible for BPA”
“Faced with this situation, Panama decided to initiate the forced liquidation of the Panamanian subsidiary of BPA and ordered to suspend all banking operations of the firm that, it asserts, has “a balance with sufficient assets to pay all depositors.”
http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/panama-scrambles-access-frozen-black-funds
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Judge named for appeal against Odebrecht ruling
Post Views: 54JUDGE María De Lourdes Estrada, of the Second Superior Court of Justice, has been named as rapporteur in the appeal filed by the Special Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office over the decision of the substitute twelfth criminal judge Lania Batista, who denied the adequacy of the terms of the bribery investigation over bribes paid by Odebrecht.The proceedings of the Odebrecht case are paralyzed until the court resolves the appeal.
http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/judge-named-appeal-odebrecht-ruling
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Last corridor fleet buses delivered
Post Views: 78THE LAST batch of 71 buses destined to complete a Mi Bus fleet of 203 for use on the North and South corridors have arrived in Panama. They are being checked and fitted with electronic boarding pass systems and by the end of the month all of the buses, which cost the State $37 million will in operationThe first of the larger and more comfortable buses went into service on November 9 along with a fare reduction from $1.50 to 75 cents, which generated an increase of 10,000 passengers
The existing Metro bus system has 1,236 vehicles.
http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/last-corridor-fleet-buses-delivered
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Martinelli era wiretapping trial date set
Garuz and PerezPost Views: 94THE TRIAl of the ex-directors of Panama’s National Security Council will be held behind closed doors with no media or public access “to respect the privacy of the people offended by the crime”.Gustavo Pérez and Alejandro Garuz are charged with the alleged commission of crimes against the inviolability of secrecy and the right to privacy. They will appear in the Sixteenth Criminal Court court on Jan 15-19 and Jan 22 -26, 2018 before Judge Enrique Pérez who also established the alternate date of the trial from March 5 to 9 and from March 12 to 16.
The Judge agreed to reserve 26 seats for the teams of each of the accused. Seating has also been reserved for the Public Prosecutor’s Office, private prosecuting attorneys and each of the victims.
As the judge ordered the exclusion of the media, The Secretariat of Communication of the Judicial Branch is responsible for providing reports on the development of the hearing.
Pérez is being held in El Renacer prison, while Garuz has a precautionary measure to prevent him leaving the country without judicial authorization and the obligation to sign in every 15 days.
In addition to Pérez and Garuz, the ex officio members of the Security Council fugitives William Pitti and Ronny Rodriguez, none of whom has appeared in the judicial process.
They are accused of spying on some 150 politicians, trade unionists, members of organized civil society, journalists and businessmen opposed to former President Ricardo Martinelli.
According to the investigation, Martinelli received a daily report with a summary of the material. collected in the interceptions.
Martinelli has been detained in Miami since June 12, awaiting extradition to Panama, to face the accusations.
http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/martinelli-era-wiretapping-trial-date-set
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Searching Content - What If I Am Looking for Something Specific?
The search capability of CL is quite powerful. Look for the "magnifying glass" icon in the upper right of most pages here on CL. Type something rather unique about what you are interested in. For instance, if you are looking for everything that contains content about Banco Nacional, then perhaps either "banco" or "nacional" (you could include both words if you wish) might be a good search argument. Search arguments are not case sensitive.
The only "rule" about searching is that there needs to be at least one search argument (word) of at least five (5) characters. Search arguments of four or less characters are ignored. Multiple search arguments in one search are permitted. Once the search argument(s) is/are entered, then click on the magnifying glass to execute the search. If you use more than one search argument, then consider opening the "advanced search" panel to specify whether you want all or any of the search arguments; all is the default, but you may prefer to search based on any.
Note that searches are for words, meaning a character string (of at least five characters) that is bounded by white space or punctuation, etc. If you search for "elephant" and all occurrences of that word are "elephants" (note the plural), then the search will be unsuccessful. So search for all reasonable variations of the words. However, the search argument may include a "wild card" character at the end so as to match anything. For instance, the search argument "elephant*" (note the terminal asterisk wild card character) will find all words that start with "elephant" plus any additional characters on the end of that word. That search argument would find "elephant", "elephants", "elephantiasis", "elephantine", "elephantabcxyz", etc.
If you wish to search in other than the entire website, then just to the left of the search argument is a drop down menu of other more limited targets to be searched (e.g., blogs only).
If you are looking for a specific phrase, such as the title of a movie, then consider putting the search argument inside of quote marks ("example here of a phrase consisting of several words"). Doing so effectively makes everything inside the quotes look like a single word for the search argument. For instance, assume someone wrote a review of Around the World in 80 Days. A search argument of "around the world in 80 days" (specifically including the quotation marks) would look literally for the exact phrase as entered inside of the quotation marks other than case insensitivity, and be successful. If you entered a search argument of "around world the in 80 days" (specifically including the quotation marks; also note that the words 'world' and 'the' are transposed), then the search will not be successful. Search arguments inside quotation marks are literally interpreted as one word/search argument, other than case insensitivity.
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How do I look for something that might be posted on CL?
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Production of Alcoholic Beverages Up 8%
Between January and October 2017, 254 thousand liters of alcoholic beverages were produced in Panama, 8% more than was registered in production in the same period in 2016.
Wednesday, November 29, 2017
According to figures from the Comptroller General of the Republic, production of alcoholic beverages in the first ten months of 2017 increased 8% in year-on-year terms, rising from 235 thousand liters between January and October 2016, to 254 thousand liters in the same period in 2017.
See also: "Wine Market in Panama"
In the period in question, beer production increased 7.5%, going from 226 thousand liters in 2016 to 243 thousand liters in 2017. In contrast to the behavior of beer, cognac and whiskey registered drops of 8% and 51%, respectively.
See also: "Alcoholic beverage market in Central America"
Vodka was the liquor with the largest registered production increase in the first ten months of 2017 compared to the same period in 2016, rising from 123 thousand liters in 2016 to 208 thousand liters in 2017, equivalent to growth of 68%.
See complete statistics (in Spanish).https://www.centralamericadata.com/en/article/main/Production_of_Alcoholic_Beverages_Up_8
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Ruling party skips $10 million black money queries
Carlos DuboyPost Views: 112PANAMA’S governing party is facing a backlash from civil society as it continues to avoid explaining multi-million dollar “donations” of black money from the bribery department of the Odebrecht company.The Panameñista Party, currently headed by the brother of President Juan Carlos Varela received as much as $10 million from companies linked to ex-diplomat, doctor and lobbyist Jaime Lasso,
The party treasurer Carlos Duboy has been the focus of investigations by the country’s leading newspapers, La Prensa and La Estrella but failed to answer questions as the party committed to eradicating government corruption, struggles to come up with a strategy to douse the flames now breaking through the early smoke cloud.
“The entire country requires an explanation from the party that is in power and that promised a different action and promised to fight against corruption and now it is known that they received money from Odebrecht and have not explained the circumstances, “said Lina Vega, President of the Panamanian chapter of Transparency International.
Vega questioned the silence of the Panameñistas and warned that the “whole country is waiting for an explanation to a very confusing fact … first, they said that there was no donation, but when they had to accept the fact they have not explained the circumstances. ”
La Prensa sent a questionnaire on November 27 to party treasurer Duboy, to explain the origin of the donations he received through Lasso, but they remain unanswered.
Lasso stated that he received money from Odebrecht, which he then handed over to the collective. Media has been able to corroborate that at least $6.5 million was received from companies controlled by Lasso.
Guillermo Márquez Amado, former Electoral Tribunal (TE), judge said that what happened after the “donations” that the party would have received raises two areas to investigate.
The first, he said, would be a possible violation of the Criminal Code because it was money allegedly from criminal activities. The second, could be investigated by the electoral route since the law prohibits donations from foreign companies.
Olga De Obaldía, executive director of the Foundation for the Development of Citizen Liberty
aid that “the citizenship requires and deserves an explanation because there is a fatal connection between the private financing of candidates and parties in political campaigns and then the undue influence in governmental management”
On the subject of donations to governments, President Varela, in an interview with Telemetro on March 17, said: “You know how many schools we have repaired with My School First, that the contractors had to donate.”
http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/ruling-party-skips-10-million-black-money-queries
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Transit board conflict of interest probe
Panamenista deputy SantanaPost Views: 65An investigation of all the members of the Board of Directors of the Transit Authority (ATTT) was initiated on Thursday, November 30, by the National Transparency Authority Against Corruption (Antai).The investigation is to discover if “there are still conflicts of interest among its members, by the nature of their interests personal, labor, economic or financial, “said Antai in its presentation.
“If this or another infraction of the current legislation is found, bring knowledge of the findings, to the attention of the competent authority, “it said.
This investigation arises after the complaint filed against the Panamanian deputy Carlos Santana, who is a member of the ATTT board, and his daughter, Karla Santana, who was at the head of the General Directorate of Motorized Vehicle Registration.
http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/transit-board-conflict-interest-probe
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Environment Ministry firing heading to court
Emilio Sempris and Felix WingPost Views: 53PANAMA’S Environment Ministry, already facing a storm of protests over concerns of developments in protected areas. Is now being hit with a flood of legal challenges from a fired employeeThe Secretary-General of the Ministry (Miambiente) Felix Wing, presented on Wednesday, November 29 four Amparo constitutional guarantees before the plenary of the Supreme Court (CSJ) against orders issued by Minister, Emilio Sempris.
Among the orders given by Sempris were those to prohibit him from entering the building of Membiente, changing the locks of his office, canceling his email account and removing his official vehicle.
Another was asking five trusted officials, to resign, as well as moving and waiving eight directors and heads of office.
Wing also filed a criminal complaint against Minister Sempris and 10 others
officials of his inner circle (including his secretary general manager, heads of legal advice, human resources, security and transport and his network administrator), for 25 crimes, among which he mentioned the violation of the workplace, correspondence, computer security, among others.
The Environment Minister on Monday, November 27 asked Wing to immediately present his resignation from office “as he has lost confidence in the exercise of his functions and performances “.
In the letter, dated November 24, 2017, he said that “Under the unusual and regrettable events recorded during the last weeks, including during the time of your leave and vacation … I find the need to intervene responsibly in this matter, safeguarding the institutional image of the Ministry.”
http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/environment-ministry-firing-heading-court
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Meter riot vandals cost $200,000
Post Views: 162ACTS of vandalism on Tuesday, November 28 in Cabo Verde, in the center of Panama created damages of about $200,000 says the Natural Gas and Power company, FenosaDozens of residents protested, on Avenue Nacional over the installation of a new prepayment system for measuring electrical energy, in an area where 90 percent of residents don’t pay, using an illegal network tapping into the power system
Protestors argue that the old structures of Cabo Verde will not support the new connections.
Company spokespersons said that the company, during the last six months, has made works and adjustments to the network, with an investment of about half a million dollars. in the five towers of the multifamily units with 350 apartments
Three teams of the Security Office of the Panama Fire Department went again on Thursday, November 30 to the multifamily area of Capo Verde.
Juan De Arco, in charge of this office of the firemen, said that 11 people will be carrying out an evaluation of the work that the electric company has done.
http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/meter-riot-vandals-cost-200000
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$88 million for Panama oil-gas study
Oil exploration ahead?Post Views: 105OVER $88 MILLION has been allocated by three companies to carry out geophysical studies to determine the possible existence of oil and natural gas in Panamanian soil, and the first in the field has completed its data collection process.The company GX Technology has completed data collection on the content of the coast and sea of the Panamanian Caribbean and from now on, the National Energy Secretariat can now start to put out to tender the blocks for exploration of gas or oil fields.
Prensa.com reports that “…The company, based in Houston, Texas, collected images of the marine subsoil using acoustic waves to characterize the geometry of the rock layers and map the geological structure of the marine subsoil in the Panamanian Caribbean Sea.”
http://www.newsroompanama.com/business/panama-4/88-million-panama-oil-gas-study
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Shuffling administration delays kids hospital
Aging overcrowded kids' hospitalPost Views: 64THE NEW TESTAMENT message “Suffer little children to come unto me” is alive and well at Panama’s children’s hospital (Hospital del Nino), but the message doesn’t appear to resonate with the Ministry of Health (Minsa) as it shuffles from delay to delay in replacing the ageing and ailing structure.The overcrowded facility treats some 250 emergency patients every day a figure that jumped by up to a 100 with the September closure of the Hospital San Miguel Arcángel.
Talk of a new home has been around since Ricardo Martinelli’s castle in the air project – a 70-story Ministry of Finance tower on the site of the former US Embassy – was abandoned and it was announced that dollar manipulators would be replaced with medical staff and sick kids in a shiny new, hospital. A figure of $62 billion was bandied around. Over five years later, with Martinelli long gone the site on Avenida Balboa serves as a parking lot and the Varela administration, not famed for speedy action is still shuffling and while it manages to find multi-millions to devote to Church structures, it falls short in practical Christianity like the needs of those “little children.”. A study by the Technological University of Panama (UTP) and the Fire Department of Panama warns that current facilities “must be replaced.”
The stage of preparation of studies and plans for the hospital should have ended in March of this year but, after an addendum and setbacks, it still sits in the pending basket. And the tender for construction remains stagnant.
Iveth Olmos, Director of Infrastructure at Minsa, said that this is a project that takes time, and the phase of studies and plans will culminate in December.
The design contract was awarded in December 2015, but it was not until six months later, in June 2016, that the order to proceed was delivered. If the overworked staff at the hospital worked at the same pace those 250 daily emergency patients would be the sufferers.
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The Franchising Business in Panama
The sectors of gastronomy, services and clothing is where most of the more than 200 franchise chains, including both Panamanian and international, that operate in the country are concentrated.
Tuesday, November 28, 2017
As in other countries in the region, such as Costa Rica, the franchise business is becoming increasingly significant in Panama. Figures from the Economic Studies Center at the Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture of Panama, show that more than 200 franchise chains are operating, and 15 Panamanian companies have been franchised under this business model.
See also: "Statistics on Franchises in Costa Rica"
An article by Martesfinanciero.com states that "...The main global franchises have a presence in the country, and the business has evolved and regionalized with the emergence of Panamanian own brands that are starting to scale up with franchises throughout the country. Clear examples of the trend are Nacionsushi, Suvlas, Pío Pío or Athanasiou. Although the latter is Greek-Panamanian and is growing throughout the country."
"... Some franchises have started to cross borders not only from Central America, but from the Atlantic to reach markets such as Spain. If the pulse of its retail sector is measured by the number of shopping centers and squares that are opened, the vision is that in the medium and long term franchises will continue to move millions."https://www.centralamericadata.com/en/article/main/The_Franchising_Business_in_Panama
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Non-paying power users pelt police
Post Views: 285RIOT POLICE called in to open a road closed by protesters in Cabo Verde in Panama city were greeted with a hail of rocks, bottles and metal rods hurled by residents of neighboring buildings on Monday, November 27. Police responded with tear gas.The residents are objecting to the installation of electric power meters claiming that the system is unsafe and that they were not properly consulted. The meters are being installed in an area where there are 350 apartments, in five towers, and more than 90% do not pay for electric power, getting it instead through illegal connections, better known as “spider webs.”
“Natural Gas Natural has the responsibility to put an end to this bad practice,” the company said in a statement while denying the residents’ safety claims. “The whole project has been developed under strict safety and quality standards and has the respective inspections and permission of firefighters, ” said a company spokesman.
On Monday, Ave Nacional was closed and work on installations was suspended, for the second time.
http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/non-paying-power-users-pelt-police
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Ex-university rector facing embezzlement probes
Gustavo García de ParedesPost Views: 130THE FORMER Rector of the University of Panama (UP) Gustavo García de Paredes is under criminal investigation in three cases arising from his time in office.The first to reach court in Panama follows research into supposed anomalies in the design and execution of improvements in the Faculty of Dentistry.
Prosecutor Adecio Mojica accuses the former director of alleged embezzlement. The investigation, which began at the beginning of this year, reveals a possible impact on heritage of the UP for civil works and electricity in the Faculty of Dentistry, which had to be carried out in 2013 and were not done. A forensic audit of the Comptroller General determined a possible patrimonial injury of $37,000.
The Comptroller’s report details that purchase orders for materials and other equipment, were issued but these were not used in the work.
When he went to the prosecutor’s office for questioning, García de Paredes denied the accusations and sais: “Everything is working perfectly in the Dental School” The former rector he remains under house arrest and cannot leave the country as part of another case under the Anticorruption Prosecutor for alleged anomalies in the rental to the Pacific-Atlantic Consortium of 21 hectares of land near Tocumen International Airport that belonged to the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences.
The ex-rector faces other processes for alleged mismanagement in his administration in the UP.
http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/ex-university-rector-facing-embezzlement-probes
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Darien crash lifts road death total to 373
Post Views: 134A HEAD-ON collision between a pickup and a truck on the Pan-American Highway in Darien on Sunday, November 27, killed one person and critically injured four. The death of Elidio Ramírez, 62, the pickup brought the total of transit deaths this year to 373.The accident, took place at 5 pm near the Pro Niños Foundation, in Metetí. The truck left the road and overturned in a ditch.
The injured were taken to the Metetí Health center before being transferred to the Chepo Regional Hospital where they remain in critical condition.
http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/darien-crash-lifts-road-death-total-373
Corn As A Market Sector - Production, Importation, Exportation, Subsidies, etc.
in Restaurants, Food / Groceries, Recipes, Food Supply Channels, Health Inspections / Suspensions, etc.
Posted
http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/farmers-protest-corn-purchase-delay