Panamanian reporter allowed attending Beijing Olympic Games
(http://news.xinhuanet.com/) Panamanian reporter Jabbes Ellis Brown got a judicial permit to attend the Beijing Olympic Games, after a judge gave him an authorization to leave the country, local press said Thursday.
According to locally daily La Estrella de Panama, Brown will travel to Beijing on Aug. 9, as he was invited by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Brown was not allowed to leave the country 11 days ago, because he had a demand for the felony on calumny and invective intervened by general director of the Panamanian Institute of Sports Ramon Cardoze.
The verdict against Brown was given in the Eleventh Court of the Penal Circuit by substitute judge Josefina Sclopis.
Immediately the Panamanian journalist guild expressed their repudiation to the dictum.
According to La Estrella de Panama, some Panamanian lawyers said that judge Sclopis surpassed in her functions, because the new Penal Code of Panama does not take into account the felonies on calumny and invective when there are public officers involved as directors of autonomous entities.
In less than one week, judge Sclopis reconsidered her decision and Wednesday Brown got papers addressed to the Migratory Direction to let them know that Brown had permission to leave the country in order to travel to Beijing from Aug. 9 to 28.
Cardoze's accusation is based on a publication in a Panamanian daily in 2005, where Brown questioned the buying of some equipment from the Gimnasio Kelly's Fitness by Cardoze.
