Panama News Briefs

By Santiago Fascetto for La Prensa - The Panama Canal Authority filed a complaint before the Public Ministry denouncing a supposed fraud of more than $700,000 dollars. The primary suspect is Igor Tello Spadafora, an ACP employee and nephew of Supreme Court Magistrate Winston Spadafora. Tello Spadafora won, through the company TPM Suppliers S.A., 261 licitations thanks to key information he handled as part of his position within the ACP. But the case, headed by the Third Anti-Corruption Prosecutor Yolanda Austin and the judge of the 15th Criminal court Georgina Tuñón could be diluted. The lawyers of the implied one presented a criminal complaint against both the prosecutor and judge. The lawyers accuse the prosecutor and judge of violating private correspondence of their client after a search of the TPM Suppliers company offices. In addition, they filed a request to protect the due process in favor of their client with the First Superior Court, saying that as Spadafora's nephew they are acting quickly against him.

Editor's Comment: Some people just don't get it. This case boils down to a simple case of a company that apparently won 261 public bids fraudulently because they based their bids on insider information. That information was provided by the nephew of Supreme Court Magistrate Winston Spadafora. Lawyers for the accused are now attacking both the prosecutor and the judge, alleging they are acting against their client with prejudice because he is the nephew of Supreme Court Magistrate Winston Spadafora. Those claims will probably be blown away eventually.

New (And Not) For Panama: This kind of crime is both old and new. Back in the "old days" there were many bidding processes within the former Canal Zone and the Panama Canal Commission. And, there were always "insiders" who traded in information about those bids. It's not a new practice. What matters now is that, as the Panama Canal is being expanded and $5.25 billion dollars will be spent, there is a much greater degree of vigilance being applied to the process. This guy probably just made the mistake of thinking that things were being done "as normal" and got caught trading insider information.

Spadafora, Again: The legacy of Mireya Moscoso just won't go away. Administrations come and go and she left office in 2004. Unfortunately she left behind Winston Spadafora on the Supreme Court and now we will have to deal with this guy for years until he eventually wanders away from the feed trough of government service. Moscoso nominated him in 2001 and he sat down in 2002, meaning he leaves the court in January 2012. There are nine justices on the Supreme Court and Martin Torrijos has now appointed five of those. I just hope he's picked better than Mireya Moscoso. Winston Spadafora is one of the highest profile Panamanian government functionaries who does not have a Visa to enter the United States of America - it was yanked under accusations (or suspicions) of corruption. Go figure.

DENUNCIA. IGOR TELLO SPADAFORA, EMPLEADO DE LA ACP, ES EL PRINCIPAL IMPLICADO.

Fraude en el Canal: la justicia bajo presión

A través de una empresa, Tello Spadafora habría ganado 261 licitaciones por 698 mil 200 dólares.

Dos querellas penales que promovió el implicado contra la jueza y la fiscal, ponen en riesgo la investigación.

Santiago Fascettosfascetto@prensa.com

La Autoridad del Canal de Panamá (ACP) movió la primera pieza. Denunció ante el Ministerio Público un supuesto fraude en su contra por casi 700 mil dólares. ¿El principal sospechoso? Igor Tello Spadafora, empleado de la ACP y sobrino del magistrado Winston Spadafora.

Tello Spadafora habría ganado, a través de la empresa TPM Suppliers S.A., 261 licitaciones gracias a información clave que manejaba por su cargo dentro del Canal. Pero el caso, que lleva adelante la fiscal tercera Anticorrupción, Yolanda Austin, y que instruye la jueza décimo quinta penal, Georgina Tuñón, podría diluirse. Los abogados del implicado presentaron una querella penal contra las dos. Las acusan de violar la correspondencia privada de su cliente, luego de un allanamiento que se hizo a la empresa TPM Suppliers.

Además, interpusieron un recurso de amparo a favor de su cliente ante el Primer Tribunal Superior, quien le dio la razón al sobrino del magistrado en un trámite veloz. La investigación pende de un hilo.

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