Panama Attorney General Defends Ports Investigation, Awaits Audit Expansion

Panama's Attorney General's Office has defended the progress of its investigation into Panama Ports Company (PPC), asserting that the case file is extensive, comprising over 360 volumes. The office is still awaiting a crucial expansion of an audit, which it deems necessary for the ongoing probe into the company that managed the Balboa and Cristóbal ports under concession.

The Superior Prosecutor's Office for High-Complexity Cases is actively conducting various investigative actions. These include research, technical analyses, and international assistance. The requested audit expansion is considered a vital input for advancing the investigation, leading the office to defend the necessity of completing these steps before making any decisions.

In a statement, the Attorney General's Office emphasized its role in criminal proceedings: to investigate, gather evidence, and present requests to the competent courts. It clarified that the imposition of precautionary measures, provisional detentions, or house arrests is the responsibility of the Judicial Branch through its judges. The office also noted that apprehension operations are conducted legally with police support, and their legality is reviewed by guarantee judges.

This statement comes after Comptroller Anel Flores questioned the investigation's pace, noting that an audit was delivered a year ago. The Attorney General's Office stressed that institutional structures in Panama are based on the separation of functions, and speed cannot replace rigor, objectivity, transparency, and adherence to procedural rules. The Supreme Court of Justice had previously declared the law approving PPC's concession contract unconstitutional.

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The Attorney General's Office reminds that the Panamanian institutional structure is based on the principle of separation of functions; speed cannot replace rigor, objectivity, transparency, and compliance with the rules and procedural stages of the penal system.