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Ex-Colón Governor Richard Fifer Called To Trial In Third Case


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Ex- Colón governor called to trial in third case

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Richard Fifer

Posted 20/10/2019

Richard Fifer the embattled  former governor of the province of Coclé and former legal representative of Petaquilla Gold SA.,  has been called to face yet another  trial.

The latest summons comes from The First Criminal Court of Colón for the alleged commission of the crime against the environment related to the violation of the environmental impact study for the operation of the Molejón mining project in Donoso.

Judge Maricela Ceballos determined to call Fifer to trial because she considered that during his r administration the company failed to comply with the environmental impact study (EIA) category III for the development of the mining project of Molejón, located in the province of Colón.

The Colon Discharge Prosecutor's Office asked to prosecute him for an environmental impact study prepared by the former National Environmental Authority (Anam) - now converted into the Ministry of Environment (MiAmbiente) - was violated, by not installing the structures to contain the tailings of the mine, after its closure in 2014.

The complaint was filed in June 2015 by former Environment Minister Mirei Endara, after confirming that there was a “serious problem of containment of tailings from the mine,” which presented a risk of contamination for the waters and streams in the area.

In 2016, the government hired Bluefin Seroca Ambiental to maintain the tubs and drain most of the tailings water that was in them.

Fifer's defense has argued that the charges brought against his client are the result of persecution and that is why he has filed criminal complaints with officials of the Public Ministry, MiAmbiente and the past government administration.

In this process, a provisional dismissal was granted in favor of Rodrigo Esquivel, who also served as administrator of Petaquilla Gold.

Fifer has also been called to trial by the Sixteenth Criminal Court for alleged fraud to the detriment of the Gold Dragon Capital Management Ltd and a judicial process for the withholding of employer labor quotas from the Social Security Fund.

 

https://www.newsroompanama.com/environment/ex-colon-governor-called-to-trial-in-third-case

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  • Moderator_02 changed the title to Ex-Colón Governor Richard Fifer Called To Trial In Third Case
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Court revokes ‘not guilty’ ruling for ex-governor

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Posted 04/05/2023

The Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court revoked a ruling by a trial court of the Second Judicial District (Coclé and Veraguas) that declared the former governor of the province of Coclé, Richard Fifer, not guilty, and ordered a new trial for the alleged crime of illegal withholding of worker-employer contributions from the Social Security Fund (CSS).

According to the Public Ministry's Twitter account, the decision of the Criminal Chamber occurred as a result of an annulment appeal filed by the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office.

On September 5, 2022, judges Virginia Rodríguez, Florelia Bonilla and Amarelis Sucre found Fifer, not guilty, investigated for the crime of illegal withholding of CSS quotas of more than $6 million through the companies Petaquilla Gold, S.A. and Panamá Desarrollo e Infraestructura, S.A., of which the former governor was the legal representative.

Fifer maintains a sentence of 120 months in prison handed down by the First Settlement Court for Criminal Cases and confirmed by the Superior Settlement Court for the crime of fraud to the detriment of Gold Dragon Capital Management.

The process against the former governor began after a lawsuit filed by representatives of Gold Dragon Capital Management, who alleged that the company entered into a contract with Fifer to invest $100,000 in mining exploration work, in exchange for obtaining 2% of the shares of Petaquilla Mineral, Ltd. and the concessions for the Belencito river, zones 1 and 2, and the Petaquilla river, zones 1, 2 and 3, an agreement that, according to them, was not fulfilled.

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/court-revokes-not-guilty-ruling-for-ex-governor

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Richard Fifer nabbed in Costa Rica, begins 10-year Panama sentence

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 Posted 07/01/2024

Richard Fifer, the former governor of Coclé province, , was transferred Sunday morning, January 7, to a detention center in Panama City, after being arrested  Saturday, in the Paso Canoas area by agents of the National Border Service (Senafront), in collaboration with the Costa Rican Police.

Fifer's transfer began on Sunday morning to a detention center in Panama City, which was not specified, to later be placed at the disposal of the Directorate of the Penitentiary System toserve a sentence of 120 months in prison for the crime of aggravated fraud against the company Red Dragon Capital Management.

Fifer's capture occurred 50 kilometers from the Costa Rican side at a police checkpoint, when he was driving an Audi-type car in which three other people were traveling.

At the time of his arrest, the former governor presented a US passport and objected to being verified by the Panamanian authorities, arguing that he was a citizen of the United States, it was announced at a press conference held this Sunday at the Province of chiriqui.

During the review carried out by the Costa Rican authorities, it was detected that Fifer's passport did not have the Panama exit stamp, so he was sent to the Panamanian authorities.

The latter detected that there was an arrest warrant against them for a conviction related to the crime of fraud.

Fifer must face  trial on January 24 for evasion of payment of worker-employer fees.

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/richard-fifer-nabbed-in-costa-rica-begins-10-year-panama-sentence

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Fugitive former governor arrested in joint operation

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 Posted 07/01/2024

The former governor of Coclé, Richard Fifer , was detained in the Paso Canoas area in a joint operation carried out by agents of the National Border Service (Senafront), the Costa Rican Police and the National Immigration Service.

Fifer had an arrest warrant issued by the First Liquidation Court for Criminal Cases, after imposing a sentence of 120 months in prison for the crime of aggravated fraud to the detriment of the company Red Dragon Capital Management.

Senafront sources revealed that the pertinent coordination is being carried out for the transfer of Fifer to Panama City to be placed under the orders of the First Criminal Cases Court.

The sentence applied to Fifer was the result of a complaint filed by the representatives of Gold Dragon in which they alleged that they had agreed to a contract with Fifer to invest $100,000 in mining exploitation work, in exchange for 2% of the shares of Petaquilla Mineral Ltd. .and the concessions in the Belencito River, zones 1 and 2, and in the Petaquilla River, zones 1 and 2, an agreement that, according to the complaint, was never fulfilled.

On January 24, Fifer will have to face a second trial for withholding contributions from the Social Security Fund (CSS), after the Criminal Chamber of the Court annulled a first trial in which he was acquitted.

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/fugitive-former-governor-arrested-in-joint-operation

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