Aleman to leave post at Ministry next year
One of the trusted men of President Juan Carlos Varela and head of the Ministry of the Presidency, Alvaro Aleman , will leave the government from next July 1, informed sources of the Executive . In the month of June will follow the consultations on the parallel constituent German on …
Independents list increases prior to elections
Dimitri Flores, Ana Matilde Gómez and Ricardo Lombana are the three candidates for free nomination who lead the list of independents seeking the presidential candidacy for the general elections of May 5, 2019. Electoral Tribunal will make ‘meticulous review’ of the process of validation of signatures Precandidates or candidates can …
Martinelli legal case: UPDATE
THE DEFENSE OF MARTINELLI OUTLINED THE POLITICAL ARGUMENT BEFORE JUDGE EDWIN TORRES AND EVEN BEFORE ANOTHER COURTS IN THE UNITED STATES. THE PROBABLE CAUSE IS SUSTAINED ‘ AT HIS JUDGMENT, WHY DOES RICARDO MARTINELLI DECIDE TO WAIVE HIS APPEAL TO EXTRADITION? There is a confusion. Mr. Martinelli has never appealed the extradition …
PRD Leader criticizes BOTH Varela and Martinelli
The political leader Laurentino Cortizo, candidate to be the presidential candidate for the Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD), said yesterday that “corruption and impunity increased with Martinelli and consolidated with Varela.” In the presence of more than 1,200 members of the PRD, among leaders, delegates and pre-candidates of Chame and San …
Former National Assistance Program director admits to illegal benefits
The ex-director of the now defunct National Assistance Program (PAN) Rafael Guardia Jaén betrayed Adolfo Chichi De Obarrio, former private secretary of former president Ricardo Martinelli. + info They support agreement to Rafael Guardia Jaén in case of Christmas bags He said that he received economic benefits through him, who …
Panama urges dialogue after bloody week in Nicaragua
The vice president and chancellor Isabel de Saint Malo de Alvarado said this Thursday May 31 that they are closely following the situation in Nicaragua . Bishops announce that they will not resume dialogue as long as repression in Nicaragua does not stop Violence left 11 dead on Wednesday in …
Change of National Police Chief commenced
Alonso Vega Pino took on the morning of this Friday, June 1, the position of general director of the National Police (PN). Omar Pinzón leaves his post at the National Police this June 1 Vega Pino is in charge of this entity, after Omar Pinzón accepted his retirement. The president …
Balladares throws hat into the ring before the primary elections for (PRD)
Ernesto Pérez Balladares , president of the Republic in the period 1994-1999, made the decision to present his candidacy to aspire to the presidential candidacy in the primary elections of the Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD). The announcement of Perez Balladares was a meeting with his support team at the national level, …
Cuba throws open arms around Maduro election results
The president of Cuba, Miguel Diaz-Canel, showed his support for the recently re-elected Venezuelan leader, Nicolás Maduro, during his visit to Caracas and his first trip out of the island since he came to power. During a special session of the National Constituent Assembly, the Cuban leader repudiated the attempts …
Here we Go!! Martinelli defense will focus on actions of Ambassador Feeley of US.
The strategy of the new defense team of former President Ricardo Martinelli is to remove the process of telephone jabs-for which Panama has requested his extradition-from the legal plan and center it on a supposed persecution on the part of the current president, Juan Carlos Varela. The lawyers Inna Shapovalov …
State of Panamanian Prisons?? Don’t get arrested!!
Currently, our country’s prisons house more than 15,000 people deprived of their liberty. The state of the same does not facilitate reintegration into society. It is a fact that in our country some prisons, such as La Joya and La Joyita , present problems because they do not cover the …
Former Public Safety Minister throws support to Martinelli letter
The former Minister of Public Safety José Raúl Mulino , justified this Monday, May 28, the letter of former President Ricardo Martinelli – currently a prisoner in Miami – where he confesses that he followed the instructions of the US intelligence agency and that he served 100% of the interests …
Prosecution continues ramp up against Mossack Fonseca
Seven other people were investigated and investigated by the Second Prosecutor’s Office against Organized Crime, which accused them of the alleged commission of the crime of money laundering in the investigation that seeks to establish the possible nexuses of the Mossack Fonseca (MF) firm and the management of money “of …
National Police Director retires amidst allegations
The general director of the National Police, Omar Pinzón, will leave his post from this Friday, June 1 and will take refuge in his retirement. Alonso Vega Pino is the new deputy director of the National Police Pinzón since last year was retired, however, remained in the institution, because according …
Prosecutor’s Office reveals massive spike in Corruption Cases filed
by James “JB” Bryson These stories do and will continue to dominate the PON.com site, as until we as both true Panamanians as well as the ex-pats that now call this country home, see a decrease in the massive amounts of “pay to play” incidents that occur in a country …
Comptroller audit reveals yet more evidence of alleged crime
The deputies Manuel Cohen (Herrera) and Dana Castañeda (Coclé) accumulate the greater amount of money exchanged in cash or deposited in private banks of funds coming from their circuits (2009-2014), according to an audit of the Comptroller General of the Republic to the communal boards. For this, the deputies used …
“Cambio Democratico” candidate announced for primary election
Rómulo Roux , excanciller and current president of Cambio Democrático (CD) , will seek the presidential candidacy for that political party. The morning of this Tuesday May 29 was formally registered to compete in the primaries of this political party on August 12. José Raúl Mulino formalizes his candidacy to …
Martinelli team preps for return to Panama, much more than meets the eye. STAY TUNED
by James “JB” Bryson I am quite fascinated with the whole scenario around the multiple yearlong detention, subsequent firing of his attorneys, and the pending return of former president and polarizing figure of Ricardo Martinelli. I have always been of the opinion that Varela has been opportunistic, and tries so …
How the extradition process will unfold.
Assuming that the dismissals of Ricardo Martinelli’s attorneys have been presented in the United States to the Court of Appeals of Atlanta, this entity must accept the waiver of the habeas corpus appeal, and the waiver of the opposition to the appeal of the bail filed by the federal prosecutors …
Martinelli defense changes to hiding in plain sight, not hindering extradition.
Former President Ricardo Martinelli “voluntarily” withdrew his appeals to US courts to facilitate his extradition to Panama from Miami , where he has been detained since June 12, 2017. This is stated in the motion that his lawyer John Byrne presented late last afternoon before the Federal Court of Appeals …
Foundation calls for end to “discretionary funds” for Deputies
The Foundation for Development and Citizen Liberty (Panamanian chapter of Transparency International ) asked the Executive “not to devote more discretionary funds for the management of deputies,” and that the Office of the Comptroller General of the Republic be allowed to audit the items used by the National Assembly to …
Financial Pacific pyramid case continues with questionable $8.5 million loan satisfaction
Without a visible bank refinancing certification, Riccardo Francolini – who was benefited yesterday with a bail of $ 100 thousand in the Financial Pacific case – paid a loan of $ 8.5 million in 9 months . The money was requested on loan to buy a ” Plug & Grind …
World Cup allows Varela to get cozy with Putin
The Foreign Ministry of the Republic clarifies that the next trip of President Juan Carlos Varela to Russia includes a meeting with the President of that country Vladimir Putin , in Moscow , and a “business meeting” to promote investment. Counters $ 100 thousand for Varela’s tour to the World …
Martinelli will not obstruct extradition process
Former President Ricardo Martinelli , who has been detained in Miami since June 12, has decided not to obstruct the process of his extradition to Panama. The bail hearing for Martinelli will be on July 19 in Miami Decision to grant bail to Martinelli, temporarily suspended ‘There are reasons to …
Who could be the NEXT PRESIDENT of PANAMA?
by James “JB” Bryson Who could become the next President of Panama??? So here at PNO.com we get all sorts of questions and inquiries and they range from anything and everything you can imagine relating to Panama. But I have to say hands down the most frequently asked question I …
Varela continues flip flopping over Venezuela.
We hope that President [Nicolás] Maduro, who is still in his current constitutional period, reflect and use these remaining months of his current period to seek peace and democracy and ways of meeting in his people.” Panama ignores election results in Venezuela Nicolás Maduro is re-elected in Venezuela amid controversy …
Yet another arrest in Financial Pacific pyramid. Posted yesterday on PON.com
The seventh anticorruption prosecutor, Leyda Sáenz, ordered yesterday the preventive detention of merchant Riccardo Francolini for alleged anomalies in transactions made through the Jal Offshore company in the Financial Pacific (FP) brokerage house. Francolini, who is being investigated for allegedly committing the crime of money laundering, was transferred to the …
New allegations in case of Mossack-Fonseca.
The Second Special Prosecutor’s Office against Organized Crime announced on Tuesday May 22 that performs nine search proceedings, nine conductions and the respective investigations of ten accused, who have been charged with the alleged commission of the crime of money laundering , as part of the investigation that seeks to …
Financial Pacific pyramid scheme back in the headlines
A case that occupied the front pages of the media six years ago, the embezzlement to the stock house Financial Pacific, culminated with the phase of allegations that were heard in a preliminary hearing held on Friday in order to determine the responsibility of each of the accused. Judge Johann …
UPDATE: Varela states Panama will continue to seek diplomacy in light of questioned election
President Juan Carlos Varela announced that Panama will continue with the cordial relationship it maintains with Venezuela, while the constitutional term of President Nicolás Maduro, who was re-elected yesterday, ends. Varela gave statements after the Lima Group announced that it does not know the results of the presidential elections in …