The former directors of the Security Council of Panama, Alejandro Gustavo Pérez Garuz and attended the Public Prosecutor of the country for the charges that were brought against them after finding evidence of wiretapping.
Attorney General, Kenya Porcell, said there is enough evidence implicating former officials of security, as intimate and personal information of members of political parties, the media, organized civil society and trade unions was intercepted.
Furthermore, the right to information was violated. Garuz and Perez were directors of the Security Council under President Ricardo Martinelli (2009-2014), who is also under investigation for the crime of espionage. The Public Ministry reported that in the residences of both weapons were found and experts are examining whether any of them “is automatic, assault or prohibited”.
As part of the investigation was also raided the house of the mother of Perez, and from there the authorities took away computers and documents. They also raided the offices of police exdirector in Panama Ports Company, where she works. For the former directors of security are linked with buying a spy equipment acquired in 2010 from the Israeli company MLM, for $ 13.4 million with money from the Social Investment Fund, now National Programme of Support (PAN) in Martinelli management.
A witness who decided to keep their identity protected told prosecutors that Perez, holding posts in the administration of Martinelli, acquired the team to intercept telecommunications and received training in Israel, although the regime denies. After the discovery of intelligence and investigations, the Panamanian government urged the regime of Tel Aviv, Israel’s capital, to provide details of the companies involved in the spy scandal political opponents and journalists.
Corruption in Numbers
A Panamanian newspaper were reported last January 5th a thorough investigation in which they found that the report of the MEF (Ministry of Finance) did not publish the cost of the legislative and judicial organs 15 years ago, similarly showed that portfolios of Health, Safety, Trade and Industry, Social Development, Public Works, Housing and Land Management and Education “spent 112 million”. In this context the media stressed that the MEF just told a recruitment consultancy for the Ministry of Labour, but concluded that there was more than 12 bids amounting to more than 3.4 million.
