Moderators Moderator_02 Posted December 3, 2016 Moderators Share Posted December 3, 2016 Can someone tell us who benefits from the excess monies brought in by the lottery system? Or are there more than one kind of lottery? Curious minds want to know. Quote Lottery love affair on the upswing Posted on December 2, 2016 in Panama http://www.newsroompanama.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/lottery-620x264.jpg Post Views: 78 PANAMA’S infatuation with the “Lotteria” (lottery) where citizens can try their luck twice a week for as little as 25 cents, continues to grow. Between January and September this year, the national lottery sold $522.3 million in tickets, an increase of 3.5 percent over the same period last year. That is an increase of $17.8 million. The lottery made a profit of $106.7 million,an increase of $11.3 million (12.2 percent) from the previous year http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/lottery-love-affair-upswing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted March 18, 2018 Author Moderators Share Posted March 18, 2018 Quote Panama historic $30 million lottery win Posted on March 17, 2018 in Panama Post Views: 264\ When, last year, Panamanian Aura Domingo Cano won the jackpot of a United States lottery through the online lottery ticket service Lotter Panama. the $30 million prize made it the biggest lottery win ever in the country. The process was confirmed and validated by the official agencies of the Florida lottery in the United States. Aura who, retired at 60 years but continued to work to support her family ordered a lottery ticket online at Lotter Panama, on July 7, 2017, for the draw that was to be held on July 19, When she heard the news, Aura could not contain the emotion. “I really needed the money. I had to continue working because I have my children, but I really would like to rest ” she said. She had the option to choose between receiving the payment of $30 million in 29 annuities, discounting taxes, or a single payment of $21 million Finally, she opted for the second choice. Aura had included five combinations of possible numbers on her ticket, all chosen randomly. It was the last line (3 – 10 – 20 – 29 – 35 – 50), which gave her the accumulated Grand Prize, . She was the only winner with all the numbers in the draw, although there were tens of thousands of players who won secondary prizes. She became the not only the big winner of the night but also the biggest ever winner in Panama. Lotteries in the United States offer accumulated prices far higher than those available in Panama like Powerball, and Mega Millions, which once paid out $656 million. Aura is not the only Latin American to win big in US lotteries. In 2003 a Mexican couple won $85 million and Eduardo Reyes, born in Mexico, won $7 million in 2017. http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/panama-historic-30-million-lottery-win Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted August 10, 2019 Author Moderators Share Posted August 10, 2019 Quote New lottery millionaire from La Chorrera Posted 09/08/2019 anama’s newest millionaire comes from La Chorrera in Panama West and has picked up a check for $1,400,000O from The National Charity Lottery after presenting the winning ticket for the August 2 “Gordito Millionario. It was the eighteenth since the award was established in 2018. The next draw for the Gordito del Zodiaco Millonario will be on Friday, August 30. https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/new-lottery-millionaire-from-la-chorrera Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted October 20, 2019 Author Moderators Share Posted October 20, 2019 Quote $1.4 million charity lottery changes draw date Posted 17/10/2019 Panama’s $1.4 million charity lottery ( Gordito del Zodiac) has brought the date of the draw forward. A statement from the Lottery board on Thursday, October 17, said that the raffle scheduled for November 1, has to Friday, October 25 so that the sale of tickets is not affected by the national days. https://www.newsroompanama.com/events/14-million-charity-lottery-changes-draw-date Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted October 30, 2019 Author Moderators Share Posted October 30, 2019 Quote Charity Lottery draws rescheduled Posted 29/10/2019 Because of next week’s public holidays Panama’s National Charity Lottery has changed the dates for some early November draws. The draw originally scheduled for Sunday, November 3 (celebration of the separation of Panama from Colombia) will take place on Saturday, November 2, and, the draw initially scheduled for Wednesday, November 6, will take place for on Thursday 7. https://www.newsroompanama.com/events/charity-lottery-draws-rescheduled Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted December 13, 2019 Author Moderators Share Posted December 13, 2019 Quote Hidden Trophies in Panama Lottery Posted 12/12/2019 The National Charity Lottery was established in 1919 to meet the pressing needs of the young country. The distribution of books of tickets was made with a social sense, so that humble people earned their livelihood. Over time, politics and clientelism appropriated this institution and turned the books into trophies, bargaining chips or political bribes. La Prensa asked the Director of the Lottery to know the identity of the holders of the books of the institution, and we were told that this was confidential, because it could represent a danger to the owners of the books. This declaration of confidentiality was established by the current government just weeks after entering into office. Why do you have to hide these names? Buyers of Lottery products complain about hoarding, conditional sale and even overpricing on chances and tickets. A dose of transparency in the management of the Lottery would be a great prize for the integrity of Panamanian politics. We need to know the identity of the holders of the books to be able to demand accountability on the allocation of these goods that belong to all Panamanians.- LA PRENSA, Dec, 12 https://www.newsroompanama.com/opinion/hidden-trophies-in-panama-lottery Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hil Posted December 14, 2019 Share Posted December 14, 2019 Panama should use the Lottery for education. Florida did this and the schools are better off because of the funding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted December 14, 2019 Author Moderators Share Posted December 14, 2019 Quote Transparency complaint lodged against Lottery boss Gloriela Del Río Posted 13/12/2019 A complaint over the conduct of the recently appointed director of the National Charity Lottery (LNB) Gloriela Del Río has been lodged with the Attorney General of the Administration, by the lawyer Ernesto Cedeño He said Friday that the official “weakens the rules of transparency and legally it is not feasible to prevent obtaining information on the programs developed by public entities, " they are public access, according to the law." A whole controversy has been unleashed in the National Charity Lottery, and there is talk of hoarding books, the suspension of books already assigned and even threats to silence complaints. These are large bags and suitcases, not exactly full of clothes, and this is also not at the airport registration desk, but one of the agencies of the National Charity Lottery reports La Prensa According to the Ángela Ruiz Wallet, there are photos of people who work with them and they are the ones who remove large amounts of notebooks that are taken directly to the political center of San Miguelito. Recent VarelaLeaks reports claim that selling rights of books of lottery tickets have become political trophies that ex-president Juan Carlos Varela used to gain support for his party in the Legislature. Ruiz, who sells National Lottery, tickets says that there are several frontmen who make up this network allegedly hoarding or controlling the sale of chances and official tickets. She e warns that books are being canceled, even for people with disabilities, and that they have sought mechanisms to cover irregularities. Deputy Juan Diego Vásquez says it is s inexplicable that the information on who owns the selling rights of books is confidential, especially if political leaders handle books of tickets, as reported by the newspaper La Prensa. https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/transparency-complaint-lodged-against-lottery-boss Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted July 18, 2020 Author Moderators Share Posted July 18, 2020 Quote Panama lottery buyers seek renewal of hope Posted 17/07/2020 By Dafydd Young Panama without lotteria is like a bird with no wings, baseball with no bats, Trump with no quiff and life with no hope say sellers and buyers calling for the drawings of the National Charity Lottery to be reactivated. For three months and 16 days, scores of thousands of Panamanians have been without faith, hope, and charity in the absence of their twice-weekly fix. and the eternal hope that lady luck will return some of the money they have handed over to create 20,000 direct and indirect jobs, and give local governors the chance to flash their smiles during the televised draws. Owners of selling “wallets” claim that they have met with the Lottery authorities and even have a proposal for the Health Ministry to avoid contagions and crowds when they recommend opening., although the rush to the tables seem likely to outstrip the invasion of bars in the US sunbelt states when COVID-19 lockdown was eased. Julissa Camano, spokesperson for the Wallet owners explained that among the measures they propose are: acrylic separators, personal cleaning kits, plastic boards that can be easily sanitized, and distance between buyers. They also propose reducing the raffles to once a week which like early closing in a bar would concentrate the minds of customers or at best ease withdrawal symptoms. In 2019 lottery sales contributed $120 million to the government, plus support for numerous charities according to figures from the wallets who say they have survived during the closure on the government $80 bonds distributed to low-income workers. Meanwhile, holders of winning tickets from the last draw have yet to collect their reward to enable them to renew hope of the big win. https://www.newsroompanama.com/entertainment/panama-lottery-buyers-seek-renewal-of-hope Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted January 16, 2021 Author Moderators Share Posted January 16, 2021 Quote Lottery next draw March 3 Posted 15/01/2021 The next draw of the National Charity Lottery will be on March 3, after the suspension of activity last December due to the pandemic. In a statement, the Lottery management highlights that taking into account the measures announced by the Health authorities to contain the virus, the institution will open its doors to the general public on Monday, March 1 for the payment of prizes. ."This draw will be played at the Balboa Theater at 1:00 pm," reported the Lottery. The last draw carried out by the entity took place on December 30, 2020. A schedule of meetings with the ticket seller is projected to evaluate, improve, or reinforce the measures implemented during the quarantine. The last draw c took place on December 30, 2020. After this, the activity was interrupted by the provisions established by the Ministry of Health due to the increase in cases of Covid-19. A schedule of meetings with the ticket holders is projected to evaluate, improve, or reinforce the measures implemented during the quarantine. During the restrictions applied since March 2020, the lottery was developed again from last October, until the new suspension in December. https://www.newsroompanama.com/entertainment/lottery-next-draw-march-3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted February 28, 2021 Author Moderators Share Posted February 28, 2021 Moderator comment: Another case of poor proofreading. The date and the days of the week are in conflict. Quote End of quarantine normalizes Lottery Posted 27/02/2021 The National Charity Lottery will return to its normal operating schedule on Monday, March 6, 2021, with the lifting of the total quarantine and the mid-week draw will be held on Wednesday, March 10. Sunday March 14, the will be made in recognition of the Day of the troubadour. Draws will be held at their customary time at 1 pm, from the auditorium of the main headquarters, behind closed doors, following all health protocols. The entity "thanks all Panamanians for their understanding and support of the raffles that have been carried out in a difficult time. https://www.newsroompanama.com/entertainment/end-of-quarantine-normalizes-lottery Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted May 18, 2021 Author Moderators Share Posted May 18, 2021 Quote Criminal probe of million-dollar lottery scandal Posted 17/05/2021 The Public Ministry (MP)has opened a criminal investigation for the alleged embezzlement of a million-dollar lottery prize. Questions about the National Charity Lottery (LNB) first surfaced on social networks and were expanded after contradictory statements from the head of the institution. The investigation also includes the use of the institution's vehicles for political affairs. The LNB is under the control of Molirena, an ally of the Democratic Revolutionary Party. The visible face of the entity is Gloriela Del Río, its director. Fifteen days after 7606, series 1, folio 8, turned out to be the winning ticket, it is up to the LNB authorities to answer questions. An anti-corruption prosecutor's office seeks to determine whether there is embezzlement in this case. He is motivated by the versions that the LNB gave about the draw. On May 3, it announced that the winning ticket had been sold in Veraguas by the ticket seller Heriberto Castillo Aguilar and that they were waiting for the winner to the "National Charity Lottery proceeded to cash in the prize of a million and four thousand dollars. They attached the photo of the ticket with the stamp of the institution. However, days later, an anonymous video raised the first doubts about the transparency of the sweepstakes. A supposed network is mentioned that is in charge of extracting chances and winning tickets. Representative Francisco Pancho Alemán, president of the Nationalist Republican Liberal Movement (Molirena); his alternate, Maira Esther González Camarena, and Gloriela Del Río, director of the entity, among other authorities. Del Río reacted to the scandal about the Gordito winner on Friday, May 14, at a press conference. She said that he had not collected everything, that the prize was in the entity's vault. In a statement, they detailed that they had paid him $2,000 and he has $1,200,000 pending to collect. It is up to the prosecution to dig to get to the truth. But the issue brought up the old practice of governing and dividing up institutions as political spoils. El Molirena, an ally of the ruling Democratic Revolutionary Party, has control of the LNB. But, according to sources from the entity itself, the one who would send there is Maira González, Alemán's substitute and a person of his absolute confidence. "In the Lottery, a page does not move without her knowing it," they told La Prensa. González Camarena, born in Veraguas, is trained in the affairs of politics. He became an assistant to Carlos Titi Alvarado, who for 15 years was a deputy for the PRD, Later, he became Alemán's assistant in the Legislature, a deputy who in 2012 jumped from the Panameñista Party to the Molirena. Lizmayren Serrano, González Camarena's sister-in-law, is the provincial director of the LNB in Veraguas. https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/criminal-probe-of-million-dollar-lottery-scandal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted May 19, 2021 Author Moderators Share Posted May 19, 2021 Quote President speaks out on lottery scandal Posted 18/05/2021 Panama President, Laurentino Cortizo, said on Tuesday, May 18, 2021, that the alleged irregularities within the National Charity Lottery (LNB) should be investigated. Let everything be investigated," said Cortizo r about the alleged anomalies in the returns of the tickets. To this was added another chapter: the contradictions in the process of payment of the prize of $1,400,000 of the Gordito draw in April. The Comptroller General has ordered the suspension of the payout. Two months ago the Public Ministry investigated alleged irregularities in the Lottery including the shredding of unsold tickets. The LNB is under the control of Molirena, an ally of the Democratic Revolutionary Party. The general director of the LNB is Gloriela del Río. The Superior Anti-Corruption Prosecutor of the Public Ministry (MP) carries out these investigations. Attorney General Javier Caraballo confirmed that the investigation arose from anonymous complaints on social networks that reached the office of the Superior Anti-Corruption Prosecutor. https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/president-speaks-out-on-lottery-scandal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted May 20, 2021 Author Moderators Share Posted May 20, 2021 Quote The Panama Lottery Paradox Posted 19/05/2021 In classical Greece, a kind of logical riddle was formulated in the form of a paradox that said something like: What happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object? The correct answer is nothing because neither of these two entities can exist in our universe, except in the case of the National Charity Lottery. Defying all the rules of logic, the head of the Lottery, Molirena Gloriela Del Río, said that something "is" and "is not" simultaneously. As if it were the purest metaphysical abstraction or approach of quantum mechanics, the lady director proposes that the Gordito[lottery]winner of April 30, 2021, was “collected” and “not collected” at the same time. As the bill of yore is already sealed, it means that it has already been presented to the institution, in the case of a bearer note, whoever had it is the holder of the million 4 thousand dollars of the prize. According to a May 4 statement from the Lottery, a humble woman from Veracruz had been the winner. According to the director of the Lottery, making a profound statement of clinical psychology, the winner of the Gordito was afraid to collect the prize, that is, she has “plutophobia” (fear of money). Such a discovery calls for immediate action by the Gorgas Memorial Institute for Health Studies, so that, keeping the case confidential, and with free and informed prior consent, a blood sample is taken from the winner of the Gordito with fear of money, so that from there a vaccine against "bribery" and embezzlement is generated. I propose that to avoid the experimentation in innocent animals of the new vaccine, it be injected directly to all the deputies, as well as to the aspirants to administer the National Charity Lottery. Surely, there will be another millionaire prize there: the Nobel Prize for Medicine, Biology, or Peace. Maybe the Swedish Academy and the Norwegian Academy will allow us, Panamanians, to receive a married Nobel. To avoid another case of plutophobia, that money and that of the Lottery vault should go to the Malambo orphanage, the Ciudad del Niño, and the SOS Villages, to make sure that those who receive the money deserve the prize. Rodrigo Noriega, LA PRENSA. https://www.newsroompanama.com/opinion/the-panama-lottery-paradox Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted May 20, 2021 Author Moderators Share Posted May 20, 2021 Quote Former mayor calls for ousting of lottery boss Anticorruption prosecutors arrive at Lottery office Posted 19/05/2021 Investigators from the public prosecutor visited the office of the National Charity Lottery (LNB), on Wednesday, May 19 while the former mayor and president of the Panameñista Party, José Blandón said that the director Gloriela Del Río, must be separated from the position, due to the scandal faced by the institution due to irregularities in the payment of the Gordito del Zodiaco prize. "The current director must be separated from the position, there cannot be an investigation of this with the director herself, who can destroy evidence or alter evidence that exists," said Blandón. The controversy was generated after a statement issued by the LNB in which they announced that the payment of the Gordito del Zodiaco that he played on April 30 for the sum of $1,004,000 had been made. Days later, director Gloriela Del Río said at a conference that they were waiting for the winner to withdraw the award. This generated public criticism and the LNB issued another statement clarifying that the winner had only withdrawn $2,000. Blandón also stressed that the list of lottery book owners should be made public. “It is not only the doubt that there is so far regarding the Gordito, but also the issue of people who are hoarding lottery books and the wallets are like a kind of levers, they sell on behalf of other people to whom they have to give a fixed figure ”, he said https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/former-mayor-calls-for-ousting-of-lottery-boss Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted May 22, 2021 Author Moderators Share Posted May 22, 2021 Quote Sister of whistleblower fired from Lottery Posted 21/05/2021 Elvis Martínez, a former official of the National Charity Lottery who has given statements to the media about alleged irregularities in the collection of draws, confirmed on Friday during an interview on Radio Panama that his sister was fired from the entity. Through a resolution of the Lottery, dated May 21, 2021, it is notified that the appointment of Elvia Martínez, with functions of secretary and a salary of $750 per month, is annulled. Although she has been appointed since 2015, Elvia Martínez held a position without "stability" recognized by law, according to the resolution ordering her immediate dismissal. Elvis Martínez has made several statements to the media, based on the irregularities detected in the collection of the Gordito del Zodiaco last April. The anomalies are investigated by the Public Ministry, the National Authority for Transparency and Access to Information (Antai), and the Office of the Comptroller General. Martínez, who worked in the Lottery's IT Directorate and was also an advisor to the superior office in past administrations, recommended that the Comptroller's Office (which has already ordered the suspension of the Gordito payment) to audit the entity's computer systems. The authorities are also investigating alleged irregularities in the collection of tickets and chances, which are returned as unsold. The scandal emerged last week, due to contradictions about the payment process of the prize of One million and four thousand dollars of the Gordito of the Zodiac in April. The institution is under the direction of Gloriela Del Río, a member of Molirena, an ally of the ruling Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD) reports La Prensa. https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/sister-of-whistleblower-fired-from-lottery Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted May 25, 2021 Author Moderators Share Posted May 25, 2021 Quote Anticorruption prosecutors visit three Loteria offices Posted 24/05/2021 The Primary Care Section of the Anticorruption Prosecutor's Office carried out a new inspection of the National Lottery in the afternoon of Monday, May 24, as part of the investigations for alleged irregularities in the entity. The visual inspections took place at the headquarters and in the agencies of Los Pueblos and San Miguelito. Crime scene personnel from the Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences also participated Last Wednesday, the Prosecutor's Office carried out an inspection at the institution. It was reported that it was seeking to collect information on the investigation for the alleged commission of the crimes of embezzlement, abuse of authority, and corruption of a public official. Currently, Lotería is under the control of the Molirena Party, an ally of the ruling Democratic Revolutionary Party. Its director is Gloriela Del Río and there are increasing calls for her removal. https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/anticorruption-prosecutors-visit-three-loteria-offices Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted May 25, 2021 Author Moderators Share Posted May 25, 2021 Quote Call for ethics probe of shooting from the lip deputy Posted 24/05/2021 The National Authority for Transparency and Access to Information ( Antai ) has asked the Commission on credentials, regulations, parliamentary ethics, and judicial affairs of the National Assembly - currently chaired by the PRD member Roberto Ábrego - to initiate a disciplinary process against Molirena deputy Tito Rodríguez. This follows statements by Rodriguez in the “Knockout” feature of La Prensa, published on Sunday, May 23 There, Rodriguez admitted frankly how, the MOLIRENA party, works the National Lottery, the Assembly, and the government. According to Antai, the public statements made by the deputy "violate" the principles and duties contained in Law 33 of 2005, which adopts the Code of Ethics and Parliamentary Honor. The entity explained that the beginning of this disciplinary process is based on Article 12 of said law, which establishes that it will correspond to the Parliamentary Ethics and Honor Commission to know the acts that constitute an infringement of the aforementioned norm, “To all public servants, we ask that this bad example not discourage their role, in the construction of new public management and society, that the action of a single person is not seen as the general behavior of public servants who they do work for a culture of transparency and for the collective good, "Antai said in a statement. https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/call-for-ethics-probe-of-shooting-from-the-lip-deputy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted May 28, 2021 Author Moderators Share Posted May 28, 2021 Quote OPINION -The Lottery Untouchables Posted 27/05/2021 The National Charity Lottery has historically been robbed by political groups that shamelessly abuse an institution created to support those Panamanians with great needs. They fatten their pockets and those of those close to them without a trace of regret. They inflate the payroll to pay favors of all kinds and, what is worse, they have turned the nobility that in the beginning characterized the institution into one more source of corruption. Another black hole in which they feel confident that they can do whatever they want with the peace of mind that nothing will happen to them. The worst thing about this tragedy is that the entire country knows what is happening, the perpetrators do not hide it and their supporters even denounce it. It is time for someone to put a stop to the gangsterdom of Molirena without restrictions, that with the excuse of being part of the government alliance knows itself untouchable. That someone is the head of the government, President Laurentino Cortizo, who seems to use the principle of the presumption of innocence as convenient. What a disappointment! Many believed him when he said there would be no untouchables. LA PRENSA,May 27. https://www.newsroompanama.com/opinion/opinion-the-lottery-untouchables Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted May 29, 2021 Author Moderators Share Posted May 29, 2021 Quote Transparency authority visits six Lottery offices Posted 28/05/2021 Amid growing demands for the ousting of the director of the National Charity Lottery (LNB), the Transparency and Access to Information Authority (Antai) conducted simultaneous visual inspections at the headquarters and five agencies of the) LNB as part of the investigations it is carrying out for alleged anomalies in that entity. This inspection was carried out during the process of returning the chances and tickets of the draw on Wednesday, May 26. Antai's legal team traveled to the LNB agency in Santiago de Veraguas, Chepo, San Miguelito, Tocumen, Los Pueblos, and the headquarters in Calidonia, to determine the way in which this return process is carried out. reported. The proceedings were carried out after the two complaints filed for alleged administrative irregularities related to the payments of the Gordito del Zodiaco prizes. As a result of the visits, a timetable is being worked out to continue the course of the investigation that includes other proceedings, Antai said in a statement. The Public Ministry is also investigating the case of the Gordito. https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/transparency-authority-visits-six-lottery-offices Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted May 31, 2021 Author Moderators Share Posted May 31, 2021 Quote The confessions of a Panama politician ... dissected Tito Rodríguez 30/05/2021 The interview that deputy Tito Rodríguez gave to the journalist Flor Mizrachi is a jewel, a diamond ... in the rough. If the Molirena politician is to be thanked for something, it is that nothing was saved: it was explicit; he described with great precision the crime that governs us. Someone commented to me: one of two, either he's a blatant cynic or he's the clumsiest politician on earth, I will not choose one of the two options, when it is clear that it is all that and more Rodríguez admitted that Molirena is governed by a mafia to which he wants to belong, but that they do not give him a chance. Reaching the presidency of that party means rubbing shoulders with the spheres of power and thereby obtaining support of all kinds, from scholarships and appointments to public works projects worth tens of millions of dollars. That is, money from the State distributed among its electors to repeat one more period in the cave. And so on, over and over again, until it reaches the satiety of its customers and voters. He said that the Lottery is practically owned by his party. And it must be recognized that the Molirena leadership has known how to milk it. In effect, it should be called the Charity Lottery for the Molirena, since they have taken money out of it in a thousand ways: appointments, awards, power, votes, travel, favors, clients, scholarships. In short, they have made the LNB their bench and burrow. All this under the nose of a President of the Republic who does not seem surprised, but even pleased with the looting. Rodríguez revealed that he has his wife named in the Lottery, but that is not enough for him. He wanted to have -without success- banknote books. Is it possible to have a more miserable soul than his? Was he going to sell chances at the doors of the Assembly? We just need to find out that the Prado of the vice presidency uses it from Uber. He admitted that they spend tens of thousands of dollars on mouthfuls -for virtual sessions-; who urgently bought curtains in the middle of the pandemic; that they have a physiotherapy clinic for them; that they buy luxury cars and that they have not contained the expenses because they cannot do it (¿?); that he signed a law that is a copy/paste of Colombian legislation; that he lied in his affidavit of patrimonial assets because he has two construction companies, but that his name does not appear in them. We must not forget that Rodríguez is in the Legislative Assembly thanks to our votes, and that he does what he does because he does not care about the memes or the jokes we make about his scoundrels; because nobody will go to the streets to protest; because there is no one to investigate it; because the Molirena is part of the power. And because he knows that our society is sick with corruption. Tito Rodríguez is a worthy representative of that growing mass that applauds the game alive and is pleased with such maddening confessions. And it is that after having managed the Super 99, Rodríguez learned the tricks to be the "successful" politician that he is today in the Assembly. – by Rolando Rodriguez, La Prensa. https://www.newsroompanama.com/business/the-confessions-of-a-panama-politician-dissected Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted June 3, 2021 Author Moderators Share Posted June 3, 2021 Quote Lottery jackpot payment OK’d but probe continues Posted 02/06/2021 Although the disbursement of the payment of the Gordito Zodiac $1.4 million jackpot for the month of April has been authorized, there are still Investigations underway says Jorge Luis Quijada Director of Inspection of the Office of the Comptroller General. He explained that the investigation that concluded is related to the payment or non-payment of the jackpot, which arises from the instruction of the comptroller Gerardo Solís, who requested the suspension of the disbursement. On Wednesday, June 2 Quijada confirmed that there are other investigations related to the National CharityLottery (LNB), which have not concluded. An investigation is still open in the Public Ministry (MP) for the alleged commission of the crime of embezzlement, abuse of authority, and corruption of public officials. What continues is an audit process of the computer systems and the process of returns of chances and tickets of the LNB. https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/lottery-jackpot-payment-okd-but-probe-continues Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted June 13, 2021 Author Moderators Share Posted June 13, 2021 Quote OPINION: The splendor of decadence Former Lottery. staff told "recruit or be fired" Posted 12/06/2021 The Molirena is a party of convenience. Its first years of history were illustrious, but now it is the livelihood of certain politicians, insatiable leeches, who use the party solely and exclusively for robbery and their political subsistence. The only one who seems not to know is the electoral prosecutor, who had to carry out an investigation, precisely, to prove how Lottery employees are pressured to recruit - on pain of fine or dismissal - the citizens that this group needs to survive. The role of the electoral prosecutor has been pathetic in saying that the people who made the complaints did not present evidence of what they said, which is false because that is what they took. But it is clear that if you are blind, deaf, and dumb by choice there is nothing to do. It gives peace of mind not to get into such trouble, you will surely think, securing yourself a completely undeserved salary. And it is not only the current one, but previous electoral prosecutors have done the same. They are now joined by the comptroller, who, without completing the investigations of the case, ordered to pay more than $1 million to the alleged winner of a raffle whose legitimacy is in doubt. The decadence, in its greatest splendor – LA PRENSA, Jun. 12 https://www.newsroompanama.com/opinion/opinion-the-splendor-of-decadence Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted July 6, 2021 Author Moderators Share Posted July 6, 2021 Quote The “untouchables “ proliferate Gloriela Del Rio Posted 05/07/2021 The director of the Lotería Nacional de Beneficencia (LNB), Gloriela Del Río, begins to behave like the owner of a farm with regard to information about the administration of the institution under her charge. Now, her Office of Legal Counsel ensures that the minutes of the LNB board of directors are confidential. What secret matters can an institution whose objective is precisely charity deal with? Such a claim is absurd or, as we all suspect, it is the easiest way to hide the negotiations that have been denounced weeks ago. Or is it that perhaps things that should be secret are discussed there, such as the identity of the winners of the present and future prize numbers? It seems that every day citizens lose ground in terms of access to public information, while officials gain - by leaps and bounds - greater discretion to declare opacity by law in matters that must be transparent to citizens. It is inexplicable that Gloriela Del Río still remains at the head of the LNB with the scandals that it leads to. She is another of the "untouchables" of a government that, apparently, would care little if the draws are also held at the headquarters of the Security Council and are declared confidential. – LA PRENSA, Jul. 5. https://www.newsroompanama.com/opinion/the-untouchables-proliferate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_03 Posted November 21, 2021 Moderators Share Posted November 21, 2021 Quote Lottery staff partied at beach hotels with illegal winnings Posted 20/11/2021 Details of a plot to manipulate winning tickets in the National Charity Lottery (LNB) in which members of a participating network went to beach hotels to celebrate their “winnings” were revealed by prosecutors in a Guarantee Court hearing. The court decreed the provisional arrest of Yamilka Camarena, who until recently was the head of Lottery book delivery, and Alejandra Bonilla, who served as provincial director of the entity. Precautionary measures were imposed on Franklin De Gracia, former director of operations of the LNB, and Miguel Ángel Peña. They are prohibited from leaving the country and must report on Monday and Friday of each week, and they cannot approach the Lottery or ticket holders. All are being investigated for allegations of embezzlement. According to the investigation of the prosecution, when they had the prizes in their hands, the defendants went to celebrate at beach hotels. They had already been left with $25,000, a figure that could be higher. Anticorruption Prosecutor's Office began an investigation in March for alleged corruption in the collection of the chances and winning tickets but the network of officials and individuals that illegally collected them continued to operate. According to the investigation, the former LNB passbook delivery chief, Yamilka Camarena, retained part of the content of the chance books and tickets that were to be sent to the interior of the country and to Darien along with the rest of the group, she kept the winning tickets and handed them over to third parties, who made them effective and then distributed the profits. In the investigation, which began as a result of an anonymous complaint, the prosecution interviewed officials of the institution, who reported that Yamilka Camarena modified the delivery system for chances and tickets, which usually had to be delivered in sealed suitcases to the different Lottery agencies. In interviews, officials confirmed that the system did not meet security requirements, but that the guidelines were maintained. The Public Ministry also attributes responsibility to the former provincial director of the LNB, Alejandra Bonilla, whom it points out as being part of the network that extracted and retained the chances and tickets. As the prosecutor explained, the scheme also had the collaboration of Franklin De Gracia, who was the entity's chief of operations. Among the members of the network were Miguel Peña, Omar López, and Antonio Peña, in charge of changing the tickets and chances to later collect a commission. Through an authorized telephone interception, the prosecution established that one of the implicated persons contacted personnel who work in the Lottery so that they would not give details to the authorities about the ticket delivery system or provide documentation. According to the prosecutor, the network stole at least $25,000 in tickets and winning chances. On some occasions, winnings could range from $1,000 to $1,800 per drawing. The guarantee judge applied precautionary measures to Franklin De Gracia and Miguel Peña. They must report on Monday and Friday of each week, they are prohibited from leaving the country without judicial authorization and they cannot approach the Lottery offices or ticket holders. The prosecutor Itzel Koo appealed the precautionary measures applied to De Gracia and Peña, considering that they can evade the action of justice and because there is a risk of destruction of evidence. Koo said that it is "a serious crime" that carries a prison sentence of more than four years, so the recommended precautionary measure is preventive detention. The prosecutor did not rule out the linking of other people to the network https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/lottery-staff-partied-at-beach-hotels-with-illegal-winnings Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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