Barrios involved in Murcia’s affairs

PANAMA. The David Murcia Guzman’s case is getting more complicated by the minute. Now the electoral prosecutor, Boris Barrios admitted that he notarized limited companies belonging to the alleged Colombian scammer.

Barrios said that while he was a public notary he notarized the registration of Murcia´s companies and added that the majority of them have to do with certifying signatures for banks and real estate transactions, which are part of the normal business of this kind of legal office.

The electoral prosecutor added that he never received any questionnaires from the Public Ministry requesting his involvement with Murcia´s businesses.

Barrios insisted that he did not do anything wrong and just carried out the functions of a notary as prescribed by the law.

Documents found by La Estrella de Panama showed that Boris Barrios was the man assigned to notarize the limited companies that Garrido & Garrido incorporated for Murcia

It is known that the Colombian arrived in Panama in 2005 and his first lawyer was Sidney Sitton, he was latter replaced by the financial firm PMC, of which Ernesto Chong forms part.

Murcia´s next lawyer was Jorge Garrido, who helped him to incorporate and registered around 200 limited companies, that were later notarized by the current electoral prosecutor, Boris Barrios.

Chong Coronado has been detained and Garrido is under house arrest pending prosecution.

Meanwhile, for Alexander Ventura Nogueira, Murcia’s Brazilian partner, from the Public Ministry there is a warrant that accuses him of money laundering and having ties with the Colombian.

According to his lawyer, Marilu Cordoba the order was received last Tuesday and the Second Prosecutor for Drugs Cases, Edwin Guardia confirmed that a subpoena was issued against Ventura Nogueira compelling him to give an affidavit regarding his businesses with Murcia Guzman. According to Ventura, he had known Murcia for only 42 days and he had the intention of buying a franchise from Murcia in Panama.

Ventura added that due to the accusations and subsequently arrest of Murcia the deal fell through, that is the reason why his lawyer, Marilu Cordoba believes that the Public Ministry does not have any justification to investigate her client.

Currently David Murcia Guzman is sitting in a cell at the Picota Detention Center in Bogota awaiting trial.

A few weeks ago he revealed that he had given money contributions to the campaigns of the presidential Revolutionary Democratic Party candidate, Balbina Herrera and the mayoral candidate of the same party, Roberto “Bobby” Velasquez.

Later on, Murcia said in an interview with a Colombian magazine, that he has also given almost $2 million to the Colombian president, Alvaro Uribe, who wants the constitution changed to be able to run for a third time.

In Panama close to 120 companies had business relationship with Murcia’s DMG without having any knowledge that it was a ponzi scheme.

Balbina Herrera accused the presidential candidate of the Alliance for Change, Ricardo Martinelli of money laundering, because his supermarket chain 99 did business with DMG for a short while.

The United States also want to question Murcia in relation with money laundering activities and it is asking for his extradition as soon as possible.