On Radio Panama’s social networks, there are reports that gang members charge up to $100 biweekly to enter Line 3 of the Metro, otherwise they “go outside.”

After Radio Panama made public the fact that gang members have allegedly taken over the contracts for Line 3 of the Panama Metro, and that the HPH Joint Venture Consortium, in charge of this construction, and the National Police denied this situation, On social networks, citizens have once again confirmed that these extortions are taking place.

According to comments on Instagram, gang members extort job seekers, as well as foremen and engineers to let in the staff they recommend. (Click the icon and see the full Instagram post)

For example the user calitobruce He stated that “a supposed servant, that is, they are all servants, and the servants end up bringing in gang members, .. then that same servant for whom he wants to enter is charged $100 fortnightly, otherwise he goes outside.”

Another citizen identified as karielyz25 He assured that these complaints are true and that this situation does not only occur in the construction of the Metro; “There are the sanitation workers, the workers have to pay dues, the government knows it and they do nothing… those who command who comes in and who goes out are the gang leaders,” he said.

In the meantime jacintobox60 He suggested to the authorities that they “infiltrate people so they can see and who is leading these things… there is a deputy who is managing this and those who get paid must donate a %… this is deep and it is not easy to get the information, so closed of these groups… The professional citizens of the construction masons and others know… The complaint is not a story! “, he assured.

“This is old, the pastors, men from that church collect bribes of up to $300, they are some more gang members, the Suntracs also knows it, the government also knows it, pure criminality and the mayors sponsor this and in Panama not even the police, not even the little government does anything,” he said. ricgardgarcia

Despite these complaints, the HPH Consortium assured that they maintain permanent coordination with the authorities of the area and if an incident is registered, they will proceed according to the relevant legal parameters.

Following the complaints, the National Police indicated that they began an investigation and met with executives of the HPH Joint Venture Consortium to verify that no criminal group is preventing the proper development of the project.

Commissioner Waldemar Herrera said that the police have not received any formal complaint about these alleged extortions that were aired on social networks and the media.