Panama's Judicial Technical Police (PTJ, by their Spanish initials), unlike the National Police, are part of the Public Ministry that's headed by the Procurador General (which we translate as Attorney General). The National Police are part of the Ministry of Government and Justice, and answer to the Minister of Government and Justice. Unlike Government and Justice Ministers who come and go at presidents' discretion, the Attorney General serves a 10-year term, which means that the current one is a holdover from the Pérez Balladares administration.

The PTJ chief is appointed by the Supreme Court, but can be fired for cause --- sometimes very specious causes --- by the Attorney General. The previous PTJ chief, Alejandro Moncada, for example, was fired by Attorney General Sossa after a confrontation when Sossa tried to intervene on behalf of a friend's son, who had been busted by the PTJ for drugs; and after Moncada and the head of Panama's INTERPOL office revealed how Sossa had turned down some foreign requests for assistance in money laundering investigations involving high-profile individuals.

There are about 1,400 detectives, technicians and other officers in the PTJ. From time to time, PTJ officers have been arrested for various corrupt acts. Crooked cops have been caught in robberies, drug crimes, child kidnappings in custody disputes and other scandalous activities. Several have gone to prison

Lately, with some complaints from within the PTJ ranks and from anti-corruption activist Enrique Montenegro, there has been an investigation, accompanied by a lot of press releases from the Public Ministry, of corruption in the PTJ. Attorney General Sossa was a legislator and member of the National Committee of the Christian Democratic Party, which has since changed its name to the Partido Popular. He was hired by former PRD President Ernesto Pérez Balladares with a mandate to "end judicial terrorism." Under Sossa's watch, most political corrption allegations have not been seriously investigated.

Now, however, the nation's Ombudsman, also a Christian Dem, is saying that the current scandals prove that Sossa must have the power to appoint the PTJ chiefs. The call has not struck a chord with public opinion, as Sossa's record with respect to public corruption is, despite his penchant for charging critics with criminal defamation, well known. Moreover, the partisan political realities of the moment say that this power is not going to be given to Sossa.

The allegations that have come to light so far include charges that unqualified people have been promoted because they are prominent athletes, or because they are women who sleep with their male bosses; that male PTJ officers have taken liberties with female prisoners; that some cops have robbed suspects; that certain individuals have been conduits for information about ongoing investigations to organized crime rings that are the subject of those probes.

Information about the ongoing investigation of PTJ corruption, however, has been forthcoming from the highest quarters of the Public Ministry. As officers have been called to testify before prosecutors, television cameras have been waiting for them. A highly publicized call has been made for PTJ officials to take polygraph tests, which deputy PTJ chief Javier Chérigo has refused to do. Hack prosecutors have actually claimed that lie detectors are reliable and test results are admissible in most of the world's courts, claims that are ridiculous to anybody who knows anything about the subject --- and they can't be used in Panamanian courts either.

So far eight people have been fired and at least three face criminal charges --- one for the rape of a prisoner in PTJ custody. At least a dozen more PTJ officials are under investigation for a variety of alleged abuses.

Those fired include agents, detectives, inspectors and section chiefs. Rodolfo Aparicio, a detective and member of the national baseball team, is under investigation for involvement with a stolen car ring.

The investigations continue, and may give Attorney General Sossa an opportunity to get rid of more top PTJ officials. However, if the chief's head rolls, it will be an Arnulfista-controlled Supreme Court, not Sossa, who hires the replacement.

© 2002 by The Panama News All Rights Reserved - Todos Derechos Reservados Individual contributors retain the rights to their articles or photos For information or problems with this page contact: editor@ThePanamaNews.com
News Business Editorial Opinion Letters Arts Reviews Community Fun Travel Galleries Calendar Outdoors Dining Science Sports Español Front Page Archive also in this section: Panama News Briefs Assembly changes hands