Currently, the ruling is under appeal before the Third Superior Court of Justice of Panama, setting a precedent in the fight against abusive practices in the financial sector. The case reached Acodeco in 2023. In response, the court not only ordered the return of the funds but also imposed an additional fine of B/. 2,000.00 on the economic agent for violating Law 45 of 2007. Ramón Abadi Balid, administrator of Acodeco, highlighted that this judicial decision is vital to ensure that citizens are protected from contracts that disproportionately favor companies. The ruling responds to a consumer protection lawsuit based on the existence of abusive clauses in a banking services contract, specifically related to compensation or automatic debit to savings accounts. Case background and imposed penalty The legal conflict began in 2022, when the banking entity made automatic and unilateral deductions from the affected person's savings account to cover debts from a 2016 credit card. During the process, it was argued that collecting obligations from other financial products without judicial backing or notification violates the principle of fair and equitable treatment established by Panamanian regulations. Acodeco reaffirms its commitment to monitoring the behavior of economic agents and urges the population to use official complaint channels, such as its online platform and social media, in case of any violation of their property and contractual rights.
