The Comptroller General, Anel 'Bolo' Flores, stated that the scandal over the allocation of funds to certain municipalities is nothing more than a smokescreen, a strategy, according to him, to divert attention from a much more delicate issue: the lack of accountability reports from deputies and political parties, mostly linked to the 'Vamos' Coalition. 'Part of this uproar is to divert attention from the list of deputies who have not rendered their accounts, and most of them are from the Vamos Coalition,' Flores said, making it clear that the Comptroller's Office will not look the other way. He pointed out that no one protested when 350 million dollars left the country under the previous government, yet many of those who are now raising their voices were silent then. Accusations and Responses The comptroller's statements did not go unanswered. Ricardo Lombana categorically rejected the accusations and ensured that MOCA has complied with all legal requirements. 'We categorically reject the irresponsible accusations of the Comptroller... This is false,' he wrote. He also launched a direct question: 'Who is supervising the extraordinary transfers to the municipalities and their possible political links today?' As the exchange of accusations escalates, the Comptroller's Office makes its message clear: the magnifying glass is on everyone, regardless of party, discourse, or political color. According to his explanation, only four political parties have met this legal requirement. In statements to TVN Noticias, the comptroller detailed that the Revolutionary Democratic Party (PRD), Molirena, the 'Another Path' Movement (MOCA)—including its former presidential candidate Ricardo Lombana—and the 'Vamos' Coalition itself have not rendered their accounts. Flores was direct and named names: Deputy Alexandra Brenes, from Vamos, and Betserai Richards, from MOCA. 'They are the first ones to tear their clothes over state issues, and this is wrong because if we want to do things right, the law must start at home,' he sentenced. The comptroller also questioned that several of these political actors are asking for extensions to render accounts of a year and a half of management, when the law established that this report should have been presented in the first year. 'All this is to divert attention,' he reiterated. Faced with this scenario, Flores announced the next step: 'Now what comes is an audit of the post-election funds of these gentlemen and the parties, because we don't know how they used that money.' He recalled that this is public money, funds that come out of the pocket of all Panamanians. 'We have fulfilled absolutely everything required by the laws and we will continue to do so,' he wrote on his X account. He added that 'the fight against corruption is fought with facts, rigor, and truth, not with public insinuations against those of us who demand transparency.' Meanwhile, the deputy from Vamos, Janine Prado, affirmed that she resigned 100% of her subsidy, allocating it to SENACYT for cancer research.
