Héctor Brands: Judge grants prosecutor four more months to investigate former Pandeportes director

A Panamanian judge has granted prosecutors an extended four-month period to investigate Héctor Brands, the former director of the National Institute of Sports (Pandeportes). The investigation centers on allegations of unjustified enrichment and money laundering, with the case now officially declared complex.

Judge Rodrigo Chiari of the First Judicial Circuit of Panama approved the extension, citing the complexity of the case which involves numerous investigated events and several indicted individuals. The Second Anticorruption Prosecutor's Office requested the complex case declaration to allow for deeper probes into the alleged network involved in financial crimes.

Héctor Brands has remained in provisional detention since December 2025 and is the sole individual currently held under restrictive measures in this case. The investigation also implicates Elvis Rodríguez, his wife Yoani Rodríguez, and several of their relatives, including Brands' children and ex-wife.

This judicial decision allows the prosecution to continue gathering evidence and analyzing financial and patrimonial information. In a related hearing concerning asset seizures, a separate diligence was rescheduled for June 19. The investigation stems from a forensic audit report detailing alleged unjustified enrichment between 2021 and 2024.