Murcia’s case prosecutor resigns

PANAMA. The prosecutor in charge of the case of alleged money launderer, David Murcia Guzman has handed his resignation to the the Attorney General, Ana Matilde Gomez.

Prosecutor Jose Abel Almengor said that he was leaving his post for personal and family reasons that have nothing to do with the current disciplinary process against him for allege irregularities that happened in his office in respect of the Murcia case.

The Public Ministry said that Almengor failed to notify Immigration that Ernesto Chong, former advisor of the Colombian Murcia, and who is apparently involved in the money laundering case, was not allow to leave the country pending further investigation.

To Almengor’s embarrassment, Chong went to the United States, came back and turned himself in to the Public Ministry.

Almengor said that he is planning to dedicate more time to his family, especially his adolescent son, after 14 years of serving the country in the Public Ministry.

The former prosecutor said that he was grateful for all the collaborations he received from the different security organizations, the embassies of various countries that collaborated with him during his four years in the Drugs Prosecution Office.

During that time more that 100 tons of illicit substances were seized.

Almengor said that he was very happy, having accomplished his mission and that the Public Ministry contains very good professionals striving to fight crime, but who do not have the economic resources to do so.

The Secretary General of the Public Ministry, Rigoberto Gonzalez said that Almengor's resignation was a voluntary act and he is not going to get into the psychological reasons of his actions.

Gonzalez added that Almengor is an intellectual and he probably is deciding to follow another career path.

Recently a formal denouncement was interposed by the lawyer Runier Ortiz against Almengor for the false arrest of the Cristian Murcia Guzman, brother of David Murcia Guzman.

According to the lawyer, the event took place on February 12, when Almengor issued a warrant for the arrest of Cristian Murcia who was detained at Tocumen International Airport, just because he was David Murcia’s brother and due to a series of letters published a few days before, saying that he had received money.

The Public Ministry is obliged to investigate the denouncement, even after the civil servant involved has resigned.

The Murcia’s case is going to be reassigned to another prosecutor, but the Public Ministry has not announced the name yet.