Ex-legislator Prado and Muná mayor indicted for alleged embezzlement

Former legislator Crescencia Prado García and Fermín Jiménez, the current mayor of the district of Muná in the Ngöbe Buglé region, have been formally charged with embezzlement. The charges, related to alleged offenses against public administration, were brought on Tuesday, June 9, during a control and guarantee hearing held in Chiriquí.

A judge ordered precautionary measures for both individuals, prohibiting them from attending certain meetings, visiting specific locations, and communicating with witnesses. These measures were requested by the Anticorruption Prosecutor's Office, which is leading the investigation.

Prado, a member of the Revolutionary Democratic Party (PRD), and Jiménez, also from the PRD, were linked to the investigation following an audit report by the Comptroller General of the Republic. The audit reportedly uncovered irregularities in the handling of a state-owned vehicle between 2009 and 2014. During this period, Jiménez served as a representative while Prado was a legislator.

The court accepted the Public Ministry's request, deeming the imposed precautionary measures sufficient to ensure the process's objectives and minimize the risk of evidence tampering as the investigation progresses.