IN BRIEF: Drug scandal, road fixings, boating tragedies, more floods

alt(Newsroompanama.comCLOSING THE STABLE DOOR. - The recent collapse of an access road leading to the Centenario Bridge, causing traffic jams and overloading of the Bridge of the Americas has led to the drafting of a bill for more stringent inspections of public projects carried by private contractors. 

 
It will include a call for better monitoring of works in progress and will be presented to the National Assembly in the next few weeks.
 
BAIL DENIED.- A request for bail for Panama’s Public Ministry former Director of Human Resources, Eva Lorentz has been turned down by the court. Lorentz, in the center of a scandal that led to the resignation of acting Attorney General Guiseppe Bonnissi is facing charges over the preferential treatment obtained by four drug traffickers from prosecutors in Los Santos and Herrera.
 
 ROAD IMPROVEMENT.-The approach road leading to the Coronado Golf and Beach Club is going to get a $1 million face lift this year. The expansion of the resort has benefited many residents, but it has come at a cost as the increased use of construction vehicles has severely damaged the road. The resident’s association is recruiting a company to resurface the road and add speed bumps.
 
BOATING DEATHS. - Five people are believed to have died in a Thursday (December 30) night boating accident the eastern part of the province of Panama. Three bodies have been recovered and a 36-year-old man and his nine year old son are missing. The vessel Niña Keysi left the Port of Coquira bound for Chinina with 14 people on board became entangled with the anchor of another vessel. causing the boat to capsize.
 
FLOOD DANGER. - the Yaviza River in Darien province rose again on Friday (December 31) flooding at least 22 homes. The civil defense agency (Sinaproc) said that water levels in the province remain dangerously high.
 
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Original Source: Newsroompanama.com
Date  Retrieved: January 1, 2010.