Murder suspect minister won’t leave

According to Delgado Diamante he has been the victim of smearing campaign, after he put forward the security decree laws that transform the National Police in a quasi-military armed force.

La Prensa published their accusations on its October 20, 2008 edition and said that Delgado Diamante murdered García after he refused to obey an order giving by him when he was a second lieutenant.

The event occurred on February 8, 1970 at the height of the military regime. The newspaper implied that the incident was never investigated.

On Monday, Delgado Diamante accompanied by his lawyers, Carlos Carrillo Godula and Silvio Guerra said during a press conference that the accusations were false and that the relatives of Garcia were being manipulated by “people without hearts.”

Delgado Diamante issued a press release in which he said that this is not the first time he has been accused of murder. Previously the Truth Commission tried to involve him in the assassination of Felix Antonio Serrano Rodriguez, which occurred in April 1983. That case was thrown out of court on September 30, 1991.

Talking about the García incident Delgado Diamante said that the case was investigated at the time and that he was separated from his post, incarcerated, investigated and finally cleared of all charges.

He added that almost 20 years ago, in 1989 he was arrested and people were asked to come forward if they wanted to make any accusations, but nobody came forward.

Delgado Diamante said that the article in La Prensa is manipulating public opinion and shows lack of journalistic ethics.

The Minister of Government and Justice insisted that the article was slanderous and the publication was trying to tarnish his reputation.

Meanwhile the International Transparency executive president, Angelica Maytin Justiniani during an event about the levels of poverty in Panama, presented President Martin Torrijos a document from the Citizens Democracy Network in which it demanded the immediate removal from his post of the Minister of Government and Justice, Daniel Delgado Diamante.

The Citizens Democracy Network said in the manifest that it was inconceivable that Delgado Diamante continued to occupy the role of minister after being accused of murder by the widow of his victim.

Torrijos responded by saying that the matter will be investigated, before a final decision is taken.

The president of the Citizens Democracy Network, Mauro Zuñiga reiterated the demands of Maytin and said that having Delgado Diamante as Minister of Government and Justice was detrimental for the country.

In yesterday’d edition La Prensa confirmed that Panama’s Attorney General Ana Matilde Gómez is going to start an investigation about the unlawful murder of Andres Garcia and the Citizens Democracy Network is going to put forward another report asking the Public Ministry to look into the case.

Delgado Diamante has been at the center of controversy over the last few months, mainly because of his input in the decree laws that are aiming to give more powers to the National Police so that can increase it effectiveness in fighting terrorism, drug trafficking and organized crime in the country.