Bud Posted June 21, 2016 Share Posted June 21, 2016 Quote Varela official facing corruption probe Posted on June 20, 2016 in Panama Edwin Cardenas Post Views: 48 EDWIN CÁRDENAS, the former director of the Institute of Agricultural Marketing (IMA), is the first senior official in the current administration to be investigated by anti-corruption prosecutors for offenses against public administration. The investigation is based on an audit by the comptroller on the Program for Food Solidarity, which was overseen by Cardenas from July 2014 to April 2015. Auditors found economic injury to the state of $6.5 million. Prosecutor Ruth Morcillo is also investigating two former institute officials as well as several other individuals, three employees of the comptroller’s office and two former officials from the Ministry of Agricultural Development. The names of those defendants have not been released reports La Prensa. According to the audit, Cardenas failed to act with prudence and a lack of planning. This resulted in overpayments and a lack of proper processing of goods. Cárdenas resigned on April 1, 2015, after harsh criticism due to several cases of nepotism within the institute. Jorge Arango he Agricultural Minister tendered his resignation last week. It becomes effective July 5, and President Juan Carlos Varela has said that he will be offered a new position because of his abilities. The cleaning up of corruption, was one of the planks in Varela’s election campaign. http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/varela-official-facing-corruption-probe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bud Posted July 7, 2016 Author Share Posted July 7, 2016 Quote Corruption prosecutor calls in comptroller auditors in $6.5 million scam Posted on July 6, 2016 in Panama Edwin Cardenas Post Views: 73 TWO AUDITORS from the Office of Panama’s Comptroller General were interviewed by the fourth anti-corruption prosecutor on Wednesday July 6 as part of the investigation into the alleged mismanagement of the Food Solidarity Program of the Institute of Agricultural Marketing (IMA) from July 2014 to April 2015. A third auditor is scheduled to meet with prosecutors Thursday in the first alleged corruption scandal within the current government., A part of the case, former Institute Finance Director Matias Carrillo has been barred from leaving the country. Other people linked to the case are former Institute Logistics Director Angel Avila, former Ministry of Agricultural Development Accounting Director Migdalia Gomez and business owner Jacinto Quintero. An audit by the Office of the Comptroller identified a possible injury to the state of $6.5 million due to the alleged irregularities during the administration of former Institute Director Edwin Cardenas, who is also charged in the case. http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/corruption-prosecutor-calls-government-auditors Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bud Posted August 4, 2016 Author Share Posted August 4, 2016 Quote Home comfort for corruption suspect Posted on August 3, 2016 in Panama Post Views: 75 THE FORMER director of the Institute of Agricultural Marketing (IMA) Edwin Cardenas became the latest suspect to undergo his interrogation by an anti-corrruption prosecutor in the comfort of home on Wednesday August 3. Cardenas is being investigated for alleged crimes against public administration for alleged mismanagement during his tenure, between July 2014 and April 2015. On July 27 it was announced that Cardenas underwent a medical evaluation at the Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences after undergoing knee surgery. Earlier in the year the brother of former president Ricardo Martinelli, got the same kid glove treatment at his home in Costa Del Este, although the next day he was able to go to a business meeting. During the investigation of Cardenas, prosecutors have made several site inspections of regional offices and warehouses of the IMA, located in the provinces of Bocas del Toro, Chiriqui and Veraguas. http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/home-comfort-corruption-suspect Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_03 Posted July 6 Moderators Share Posted July 6 Quote Edwin Cárdenas and 5 Others Sentenced to 96 Months in Prison Posted 05/07/2024 The former director of the Agricultural Marketing Institute (IMA), Edwin Cárdenas, and five other people were sentenced to 96 months in prison for the crime of willful embezzlement. The sentence was issued through resolution No. 2 of January 2 by the First Liquidation Court of Criminal Cases and notified to the parties by Judge Águeda Rentería. The Public Prosecutor's Office initiated proceedings against Cárdenas following an audit by the Comptroller General of the Republic, which revealed a possible loss to the State of $6,560,515 in the management of the resources of the Trust Fund of the Food Solidarity Program. In addition to the prison sentence, Judge Rentería imposed on Cárdenas an additional penalty of disqualification from holding public office once the prison sentence has been served. Cárdenas was the first official of the Juan Carlos Varela administration (2014–2019) to be investigated for irregularities in the exercise of his functions. During his administration, between July 2014 and April 2015, he irregularly managed the resources of the Trust Fund of the Food Solidarity Program, which led to his resignation due to criticisms that included cases of nepotism. In June 2019, the Court of Auditors also found him guilty and held him responsible for a financial loss of $5.6 million, caused by the irregular handling of funds from the same program. https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/edwin-cardenas-and-5-others-sentenced-to-96-months-in-prison Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.