No, Ana Matilde, zero coima here

Panama’s Attorney General gets a high rating at the Panama Star. Ana Matilde Gomez is much admired for her tenacious chasing down of criminals, without favor, and her ability to face criticism from government and judicial sources when she turns the spotlight on someone near the inner circle. All the more surprising then when this week she decided to shoot the messenger.

The messenger this time around, being the media, which universally carried the story of David Murcia Guzman ’s claim that the campaigns of PRD presidential candidate Balbina Herrera and PRD mayoralty candidate Bobby Velasque z accepted cash donations running into millions of dollars in return for “protection.” What form that took he didn’t specify.

Now without the smoking gun in his hand, the word of a man sitting in a Colombian prison awaiting trial on charges of running a ponzi scheme, is hardly solid evidence. Ponzi operators need a need a glib tongue, larded with honey to sucker the gullible and the greedy.

Murcia is also suspected, along with some well known Panamanian “ entrepreneurs ”, of being involved in money laundering.

So, without a paper trail. hjs words must be taken with a pinch of salt. In fact, since we first reported his mini jailside press conference I have spoken to many, who are not lovers of B albina but who don’t believe a word coming from the mouth of the pyramid salesman.

But our crusading heroine has gone further and alleged during a radio broadcast, that papers were paid to carry the story, and that it must cost a lot to get it on the front page.

If that’s true, the Panama Star was left out.

MUD IN YOUR EYE. The whole scene, as I wrote earlier in the week, is part of the mud slinging contest that is degrading the election campaigns.

There was once a bar on Via Espana, that staged mud wrestling contests between bikini clad girls. No one ever really won, but the inebriated spectators didn’t care. They just enjoyed the splashing in the mud and the occasional slipped bikini.

In real life the attacks and counter-attacks in both the Mayoralty and Presidential races, have further muddied the image of politicians, and if a recent survey is to be believed, some 50 percent of the population isn’t interested in the election.

But returning to Ana Matilde , please produce the evidence before hanging the accused.

KICK BOXING. Meanwhile, it looks as if Tuesday’s debate between Presidential campaigner front-runner Ricardo Matinelli and Balbina Herrera, could turn into a slug fest, with some kick boxing thrown in.

Former President Guillermo Endarra has declined an invitation to participate. Who can blame him? No one wants to be caught in the middle of a dog fight.

Those who like blood sports will likely get their fill. Those concerned with issues might do better switching to another channel, unless the candidates’ handlers can convince them to try to look and act presidential

BOOK TITLES.< Look out next week for our introduction to a book title contest with prizes, It was sparked by columnist Phil Edmonston.