Fishermen deaths under investigation

PANAMA. The funeral of the two brothers, Dagoberto y Rigoberto Perez, who were killed by the National Police, while fishing, took place yesterday in Playa Leona.

The death of the fishermen is surrounded by contradictions from the policemen involved who are insisting that they thought that the boat Niña Evy was carrying illegal drugs.

A source close to the case said that currently the Public Ministry is trying to determine the ownership of the gun found in the boat at the time the incident took place.

One worrying aspect about the Perez case is that apparently the two policemen accused of the shooting two brothers have been involved in a similar incident in the past.

The Perez family lawyer’s is asking the Public Ministry to look into the history of the two policemen involved.

Playa Leona’s fishermen are worried that they what happened to the Perez brothers could happen to them too, because the police appear to shoot first and ask questions later.

All the inhabitants are saddened by the sudden death of the brothers and demanding justice for a community suffering from poverty.

Meanwhile, the National Police director, Francisco Troya said that the institution is neutral with regards to the investigation and is awaiting the results.

The Public Ministry has not charged anybody yet and is awaiting results of the Forensic Institute, before it decides if it is going to lay charges.