Judith Pena | January 27, 2023
The presiding magistrate of the Court of Accounts, Alberto Cigarruista, revealed to Radio Panama that investigations are still open to 70 community boards where property damage or mismanagement of State money has been reported.
He said that generally this money should be used for social works in the communities such as eradicating the lack of aqueducts, latrines, road improvements, improvements in schools; that is to say, to get humble households out of poverty, but with the diversion of funds these communities are further impoverished. “Robbing the country is not business,” he said.
The magistrate indicated that acts of corruption penetrate at all levels; high, medium, low, political and even business, so the Court of Accounts remains alert carrying out all the investigations that are denounced by the entire country.
He stressed that currently the entity must recover around 255 million dollars that have been denounced in different spheres at the national level.
He recalled that article 281 of the Constitution authorizes them to investigate these claims of patrimonial damage, be it to schools, hospitals, companies, politicians, entities and any person who is reported or detected stealing from the State either in time (arriving late, not doing work, not complying with working hours) or directly subtracting money from the state coffers.
During the investigations carried out by the Court of Accounts, they can seize the assets, be it a car, bank accounts, houses, etc.
