Moderators Moderator_03 Posted September 13, 2023 Moderators Share Posted September 13, 2023 Quote PAN money-laundering trial of 17 postponed Posted 12/09/2023 The First Settlement Court for Criminal Cases suspended Tuesday, the trial of 17 people, including the former director of the National Aid Program (PAN), Rafael Guardia Jaén, for alleged money laundering. The decision was adopted after the court did not resolve the evidence order to be used during the trial, which was scheduled to be held between September 12 and 14. Judicial sources explained that some of the defense lawyers presented a l number of documentary and testimonial evidence that had not been admitted by the court, which led to the suspension of the trial. Among those called to trial are Rafael Guardia Jaén and his children Lorraine Brigitte Guardia Juárez and Jonathan Guardia Andrión, who, according to the prosecution, created companies and cashed checks to acquire movable and immovable property with PAN funds. Also among those called to trial are the former PAN purchasing chief, Rafael Williams, as well as Charles Sadat Bonilla, Javier Óscar Cachafeiro, Mónica Andrade, Carlos Ramos, Mónica Peralta, Rosa González, Boris Zeballos and Pacífico González, among others. In the case, the prosecution alleged that the crime preceding money laundering was embezzlement and that this was consummated through the assignment of contracts through the PAN, some of which were overpriced or were not fully executed. Guardia Jaén reached a collaboration agreement and a sentence of 60 months in prison, after providing the prosecutor with information on the 12 investigations opened for different anomalies in the management of PAN funds. https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/pan-money-laundering-trial-of-17-postponed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_03 Posted October 7, 2023 Author Moderators Share Posted October 7, 2023 Quote Anti- corruption prosecutor asks jail for former minsters in helicopter scam Supreme Court Posted 06/10/2023 Four former ministers of state are among 14 defendants facing trial for alleged embezzlement in the rental of helicopters through the National Aid Program (PAN). Anti-corruption prosecutor Ariel De Gracia requested a conviction verdict for all 14 defendants, including four former ministers of State, for the alleged commission of the During the fourth day of the hearing, on Thursday, October 5, prosecutor De Gracia began with the presentation of the allegations, after hearing testimonies from auditors from the Comptroller General who certified inconsistencies between the hours paid with PAN funds and the number of contracted flight hours. The prosecution's allegations were based on articles 338 and 340 of the Penal Code. The first of them establishes that " the public servant who steals or embezzles in any way, or consents that another appropriates, steals or embezzles in any way money, securities or property, the administration, collection or custody of which has been entrusted to him because of his position, he will be punished with imprisonment of four to ten years. While 340 of that same code states that “ the public servant who negligently causes the loss or loss of money, securities or property, the administration, collection or custody of which has been entrusted to him by reason of his position, or gives the opportunity to "If another person steals, uses or appropriates them, for his own benefit or that of a third party, he will be punished with imprisonment of three to six years. " The investigation began in 2014 following a series of audits carried out in the PAN that revealed the irregular collection of funds from that entity for the payment of flight hours from different public institutions. https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/anti-corruption-prosecutor-asks-jail-for-former-minsters-in-helicopter-scam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_03 Posted October 8, 2023 Author Moderators Share Posted October 8, 2023 Quote Helicopter rental scam trial awaits ruling Posted 07/10/2023 After five days of trial, the First Criminal Settlement Court took advantage of the law to issue a ruling on 14 people, including four former ministers, in the case of alleged irregularities in the contracting of helicopter rentals with funds from the defunct National Aid Program (PAN). The Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office, represented by prosecutors Ariel De Gracia and Ada Almanza, in the pleadings phase, requested from the court of the case a conviction for the entire group of people accused of committing crimes against the public administration with different forms of embezzlement. 12 lawyers participated as private defense and asked the court for an acquittal in favor of the defendants, thus closing the hearing. Prior to the allegations, during the trial days, extraordinary documentary, testimonial, and expert evidence were presented, as well as two incidents of prescription of the criminal action, which will be resolved in the sentence, the Judicial Branch reported. Among those prosecuted are the former Ministers of Agricultural Development; Óscar Osorio and Emilio Kieswetter; Guillermo Ferrufino, former Minister of Social Development and Franklin Vergara; former head of the Ministry of Health. Also included are the former administrator of the National Land Authority, Franklin Oduber, Arturo Alvarado, former director of the National Civil Protection Service, and Giacomo Tamburrelli, former director of the PAN, among others. The investigation began in 2014, for alleged irregularities in the rental of helicopter flight hours for different State institutions through the PAN. https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/helicopter-rental-scam-trial-awaits-ruling-1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_03 Posted October 18, 2023 Author Moderators Share Posted October 18, 2023 Quote Supreme Court rejects Tamburelli appeal against jail term Giacomo Tamburrelli Posted 17/10/2023 The Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice rejected an appeal presented by the former director of the defunct National Aid Program (PAN) Giacomo Tamburrelli and businessman Rubén De Ycaza. In this way, the conviction for the crime of embezzlement for the irregular handling of funds delivered by the PAN (today the Directorate of Social Assistance) for the purchase of dehydrated food for an amount of $44.9 million is maintained. The decision was made by judges Ariadne García, Maribel Cornejo, and María Eugenia López. In the case, the Criminal Chamber also rejected a request from the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office to increase the prison sentence for Tamburrelli, which remained at 48 months in prison. In the case of Ycaza, the penalty is 96 months in prison. The investigation began in 2015 following an audit report that revealed anomalies in the awarding of contracts for the acquisition of dehydrated food that would be delivered to public schools through the PAN. The First Liquidation Court is also carrying out a process against three other people for a second case of embezzlement related to dehydrated foods for an amount of $14.5 million. The trial in this case is set for January 29, 2024. In both officials. investigations, the Public Ministry stated that the dehydrated food was never delivered to public schools, as planned, and that cost overruns occurred in the contracts assigned by PAN. https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/supreme-court-rejects-tamburelli-appeal-against-jail-term Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_03 Posted February 25 Author Moderators Share Posted February 25 Quote Prosecutor requests jail for four in dehydrated food scam Giacomo Tamburelli Posted 24/02/2024 The trial for the dehydrated food purchased with funds from the National Aid Program (PAN) in the government of Ricardo Martinelli ended on Tuesday, February 20, and Agueda Rentería, the head of the First Criminal Cases Settlement Court, took advantage of the 30 days established by law to issue a verdict. Prosecutor Ariel De Gracia requested a conviction for the four defendants: Giacomo Tamburelli, former director of the National Aid Program; Rubén De Ycaza, the supplier of the dehydrated food, and the merchants Jorge Noel and Cinthia Quirós. The Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office investigated them for the alleged commission of crimes against the public administration, in the forms of embezzlement in various forms, influence peddling, and crimes against public health. At the trial, two experts from the Comptroller General supported the audit that determined a financial injury to the State of $14 million, an element that was key in the investigation. This investigation began in 2015, as a result of the audit that detected irregularities in the purchase of dehydrated food for official schools in the poorest towns in the country. This was the second investigation carried out by the Public Ministry for the purchase of dehydrated food during the five years 2009-2014, an administration in which the PAN paid $60 million in dehydrated food. https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/prosecutor-requests-jail-for-four-in-dehydrated-food-scam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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