Court Decides In Favor of Perez-Balladares - Charges Dismissed

(Panama-Guide) - Panama America - Fifteenth Criminal Court Judge Georgina Tuñón granted a final, objective, and impersonal dismissal in favor of former president Ernesto Perez Balladares, in the case against him for the offenses against the public administration and money laundering. This verdict, according to a source close to the investigation, has been in the court since 14 July of this year, which states that Perez Balladares has not committed any crime. This process is related to the investigation on the concessions for casinos granted during the administration of the former President. Perez Balladares was being investigated for allegedly having received large sums of money through straw man companies from those in charge of casino companies that benefited with concessions to operate in Panama during his tenure.

The investigation against the former president was started by the Third Anti Corruption Prosecutor. Luis Carlos Cabezas, his lawyer, declined to comment on the decision by the judge for his client. For his part, the prosecutor for Organized Crime, Jose Ayu Prado, when contacted by telephone, declined to speak on the subject.

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Original Source: http://www.panama-guide.com/article.php/20100909182115829
Date Retrieved: September 10, 2010.