In this context, Flores pointed out that during the investigations carried out by the Comptroller's Office, pecuniary assets and funds have been found that do not correspond to the salary that the former official earned during his tenure.
According to Flores, "it is not correct for the Panamanian people to have seen how the country's external debt doubled by 30 billion dollars and there is not a single work they can show to justify it."
"What we are seeing here is a criminal brotherhood that has run this country for five or more years under other governments, and that is what we are investigating," he assured.
The investigations being carried out by the Comptroller's Office are also analyzing the operations conducted in foundations, in which "many of these people use to hide everything they have."
"These are the same banks that ask you and me for a thousand pieces of information because we deposited 5, 6, or 10 thousand dollars, but apparently, they ask these gentlemen for nothing," lamented Flores, who said he does not understand the selectivity of the country's most important banks "towards these people, while making life difficult for honest people."
Flores hinted that he has "the most important banks in the country" in his sights, as he expressed to citizens that honest people are asked for even their family's DNA to accept a deposit, "However, when a nobody who came to the previous government in a taxi is driving a Ferrari and luxury cars that they cannot justify, the banks ask them for nothing."
José Gabriel Carrizo and Héctor Valdés Carrasquilla will not be the only former PRD government officials whose assets and funds are seized by the General Comptroller's Office. Although there are more on the waiting list, Comptroller Anel 'Bolo' Flores put the spotlight on the foundations and banks that, according to him, "should be models of integrity," yet, in his view, they turn a blind eye to the "nobodies" who enter the government in taxis.
"The list is significant, we are working and we will continue to do so," Flores responded when asked on the 'Sin Rodeos' program if there would be more precautionary actions against former officials, as already happened with former Vice President Carrizo and former Mayor of San Miguelito, Héctor Valdés Carrasquilla.
Similarly, Comptroller Flores assured that the seizures of last week will not end with those amounts, as they are initial figures and the Comptroller's Office continues to "extract information."
"We are looking at this very closely," he specified.
He lamented that under the pretext of the pandemic in Panama, "there was a squandering of money that not only ruined the economy but also the country's fiscal situation, which we have faced not only at the central government level but in all institutions."
Seizures
Although he did not provide names, the comptroller assured that "there are several more (seizures) underway," however, he assured that he has "sufficient elements" for what the institution is doing and when they find a very important figure, they proceed to seize it.
"In many cases, there are asset declarations upon taking office, and obviously, what they possessed at that time is different from what we are finding now," he concluded.
