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Grousing About the Honesty, Integrity, and Accountability of Pubic Servants - Governmental Corruption


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OPINION: Pubic servant theft  now the rule

Posted 09/09/2019

The initiative of the independent deputies to extend to other officials the obligation to present the affidavit of patrimonial property is not only a clamor that they have managed to crystallize in a preliminary bill, but that it becomes necessary. The growing wave of allegations of unjustified enrichment of numerous public servants is as alarming as scandalous. The examples are no longer an exception; they are the rule, with the aggravation of a genuflecting judicial organ, completely separated from its duty to impart justice, becoming complicit in malicious acts. Therefore, it is necessary to have mechanisms that promote greater transparency, so that all citizens realize who accesses these positions to get hold of our tax money and who keeps their hands clean. And for these mechanisms to be effective, the preliminary draft must specify that these statements be public and disclosed on the websites of the institutions where officials work with that obligation. After what happened with the intended reforms to the internal regulations of the Assembly, we hope that the deputies will fulfill their romise to be agents of change, at least, on this issue. – Hoypoyhoy, LA PRENSA, Sep. 8

 

https://www.newsroompanama.com/opinion/opinion-pubic-servant-theft-now-the-rule

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OPINION: The honey jars of power and impunity

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Posted 11/09/2019

PRD Deputy Benicio Robinson recently pointed out that his colleague, Deputy Juan Diego Vásquez, made the National Assembly an object of public scorn. If the novel deputy had such influences, surely it would not be for matters related to Robinson's own trajectory.

While a newly graduated daughter received a designation in a senior position in Etesa, and another son occupies a prominent position in the Social Security Fund, the lucky father cannot be blamed for influence peddling.

 Despite the imputation for very serious crimes of businessmen who were the counterpart of the Pandeportes scandal, of baseball bats and equipment, Robinson enjoys the honeypots  of power thanks to the absolute impunity granted by the Supreme Court of Justice, which  has refused to condemn a single deputy for any of the horrendous behaviors that have been attributed to them with abundance of evidence.

If Deputy Vasquez embarrasses the Assembly it is because he focuses the light of public opinion on deputies such as Benicio Robinson, who have seized public power for their own  benefit. LA PRENSA, August 11

 

https://www.newsroompanama.com/opinion/opinion-the-honey-jars-of-power-and-impunity

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  • Moderator_02 changed the title to Grousing About the Honesty, Integrity, and Accountability of Pubic Servants
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Rookie lawmaker knocks sweetheart penalty deals

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Juan Diego Vásquez

Posted 19/09/2019

Outspoken independent rookie deputy Juan Diego Vásquez questioned on Wednesday, September 18, the sweetheart penalty deals and collaboration agreements with companies and people linked to corruption.

He was fired up he by the agreement reached with Carlos Ho the former Director of Special Projects of the Ministry of Public Works who was involved in the Oderbtrecht bribery scandal in which at least $90 million was disbursed in Panama.

"Until when are we going to continue awarding  penalty agreements awarded in which no one is convicted?" Vásquez said. He recalled that Ho will pay $10,000 instead of serving the remaining months of his sentence. 

The agreement with Ho González was validated at a hearing in the Twelfth Criminal Court.

In the hearing, the judge reduced the sentence from 108 months to 72 months in prison. In addition, Ho was recognized for the 24 months he was in provisional detention.

The former official had an outstanding penalty of 48 months in prison, but it was converted into a fine of $ 10,000, so he was released.

Ho was executive project director of the Ministry of Public Works during the administration of former President Martín Torrijos (2004 - 2009).

Welcome Home 
In social networks, his relatives posted images and messages indicating that Ho González was released from prison on Monday.

The independent deputy Vásquez also noted the cases of companies such as Odebrecht, which continues to make contacts with the State despite having been convicted of corruption in numerous other countries in the region.

 

https://www.newsroompanama.com/business/rookie-lawmaker-knocks-sweetheart-penalty-deals

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In Which Countries Has Corruption Increased?

The Dominican Republic, Panama and Honduras are the nations in the region where the majority of the population believes that corruption in government institutions has increased in the last twelve months.

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

The report "Barómetro Global de la Corrupción: América Latina y El Caribe 2019 - Opiniones y Experiencias de los ciudadanos en materia de corrupción" (Global Corruption Barometer: Latin America and the Caribbean 2019 - Opinions and Experiences of Citizens on Corruption), compiled by Transparency International and published on September 23, 2019, evaluated the perception of corruption in the countries of the region and some aspects of insecurity.

The document states that "... In the Dominican Republic: 66% of the population say that corruption has increased in the last 12 months. 23% experienced sexual extortion or know someone who went through this situation. 16% paid a bribe for public services in the last 12 months. 46% were offered bribes in exchange for votes.

In Panama: 56% of the population say corruption increased in the last 12 months. 18% experienced sexual extortion or know someone who went through it. 14% paid a bribe for public services in the last 12 months. 23% were offered bribes in exchange for votes.

In Honduras: 54% of the population say that corruption increased in the last 12 months. 28% experienced sexual extortion or know someone who went through it. 17% paid a bribe for public services in the last 12 months. 36% were offered bribes in exchange for votes.

In Costa Rica: 49% of the population say corruption increased in the last 12 months. 7% experienced sexual extortion or know someone who went through it. 18% paid a bribe for public services in the last 12 months. 17% were offered bribes in exchange for votes.

In Guatemala: 46% of the population say corruption increased in the last 12 months. 25% experienced sexual extortion or know someone who went through it. 23% paid a bribe for public services in the last 12 months. 27% were offered bribes in exchange for votes.

In El Salvador: 45% of the population say corruption increased in the last 12 months. 14% experienced sexual extortion or know someone who went through it. 15% paid a bribe for public services in the last 12 months. 17% were offered bribes in exchange for votes.
"

Download full report

 

https://www.centralamericadata.com/en/article/main/In_Which_Countries_Has_Corruption_Increased

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  • Moderator_02 changed the title to Grousing About the Honesty, Integrity, and Accountability of Pubic Servants - Governmental Corruption
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New rulea would shrink lawmakers' cookie jars

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The credentials sub-committee calling for rule changes

Posted 15/10/2019

Lawmakers  who do not comply with transparency rules could l be hit with heavy fines, and they will lose a day’s pay when they are absent from the sessions without submitting an application. They will also lose some of their honeypot entitlements like being able to import tqo cars duty fre.

They will also be obliged to present an affidavit of their assets within 30 days of being sworn in, documentation in which they must include details such as public limited companies to which they belong, the emoluments to which they are entitled, like the importation of duty free cars,  and the list of contracted personnel in  their  Assembly offices. 

These are some of the aspects contained in the report with changes to the Internal Regulations of the National Assembly prepared  by a subcommittee composed of Deputies Raúl Pineda , of the Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD) ; Juan Diego Vásquez , independent; and Gonzalo González, of the PRD, who are part of the Credentials Committee of the Assembly .

 

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/new-rulea-would-shrink-lawmakers-cookie-jars

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