A "spoonful of impunity" test gave the National Assembly the country and various civil society groups, after declaring informally a complaint against Judge Harry Diaz, who was presented by his counterpart, Jose Ayu Prado.
Therefore, Ayu Prado, accompanied by his colleagues Hernán De Leon and Luis Ramon Fabrega, attended the General Secretariat of the Assembly, yesterday afternoon to make a formal denunciation.
But beyond that step, which occurred earlier in the Credentials Committee was a kind of agreement that is repeated administration after administration: "If you do not touch me, I will not touch you".
That's what interpreted members of civil society organizations were astonished to hear the words of Jorge Ivan Arrocha, deputy and chairman of the committee from the Panameñista party.
Arrocha said to the magistrate that to prosecute Harry Diaz, and any other of the eight judges of the judiciary, is not valid only deliver a letter and an interview in CD format. "The note does not constitute a formal complaint because they do not meet the minimum requirements set out in Articles 81, 82 and 88 of the Criminal Procedure Code", said Arrocha.
The panameñista tried to entangle more political environment, stating that the Supreme Court is passing it to the legislature a legal circus: "I will ask the judges not submit the media and legal to the Credentials Committee show", he said.
After the announcement of Arrocha, the question that representatives of civil groups was that why did refer only to investigate Diaz, when the same commission rest 21 complaints against several judges.
In fact, eight are against Ayu Prado, 5 against Oyden Ortega and ex judge Harley Mitchell.
Additional were formally made 4 requests in order to investigate Harry Diaz, without which was formalized Wednesday.
Suspicious file
The broth of impunity cooked ended when several of those present assumed that the Assembly responded to the decision of the Court to file the processes followed several deputies who allegedly used irregularly the circuitales money .
To Anette Planells, the Independent Movement for Panama (Movin), there is no doubt that the Assembly evaded responsibility for restoring the confidence of the public.
"That just does increase the perception that here is not going to happen. One of the deputies which case (circuitales items) was dismissed was the deputy Arrocha" said Planells.
Later Tuesday, the Court announced that with the record Arrocha was ordered to file the cases of the panameñistas Jorge Alberto Rosas and Carlos Santana.
Cases of the deputies of the Democratic Change (CD) Hector Aparicio and Manuel Cohen and Michael Fanovich from the Molirena party, were also discontinued.
In this regard, Carlos Lee, Citizens Alliance for Justice, believes that we must follow the procedures required by law, but should evacuate the other claims that are against the members of the Court.
"For us it makes no sense complaints that are not resolved, but we want to know the fate of previous complaints against the Commission's in the other judges", stressed Lee.
Meanwhile, the government's deputy Katleen Levy, Secretary of the Credentials Committee, said there is not intention to cover the corruption of officials, but to follow the due process.
"I know that civil society is upset by our decision, but we can not initiate an investigation because the case could fall in nullity".
Finally , political analyst Jose Blandon said that "a change of constitution is needed to make the election of judges of the Court" .
It should be noted that the president has yet to appoint alternates to Cecilio Cedalise and Angela Russo.
Twitter
- "Un magistrado serio en un país serio, pero esto es Panamá, donde la Asamblea tiene instrucciones de no investigar a más nadie".
- "Estamos igual que siempre. Nada ha cambiado. Misma trama, diferentes actores".
- "Mismo magistrado dijo en medios hace algunos meses, que casos tenían precio en CSJ y nada pasó. No hizo denuncia formal".
- "Quien quiera conocer la Corte Suprema de Justicia de la República de Panamá, que venga porque se acaba".
