A formal hearing was held before a judge of the Accusatory Criminal System. Two of the three officials were formally charged with alleged crimes of aggravated embezzlement, falsification of public documents, and other charges related to crimes against public administration. The plaintiff's lawyer, Mario Luis Delgado, explained that the case will be investigated by the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office of the Public Ministry due to alleged harm against a community board in the Las Palmas district. The community is closely following the process and hopes clear responsibilities will be established and that public resource management will not be shrouded in secrecy again. Three members of a community board in the Las Palmas district, Veraguas province, were at the center of a criminal process for alleged corruption offenses after complaints that had been awaiting a response for years. However, it was confirmed that the process will continue according to the deadlines established in the Accusatory Criminal System, while the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office continues to gather evidence. According to sources linked to the case, the reported events date back to previous administrations within the community board, broadening the scope of the investigation. After hearing arguments from the Public Prosecutor's Office and the defense, the judge ordered precautionary measures, including preventing the accused from leaving the country and requiring regular reporting to the Prosecutor's Office during the investigation. As for the third defendant, the arraignment hearing was postponed after his lawyer presented a medical excuse based on disability, which was accepted by the court. As of this report, no official statements have been made by the Public Prosecutor's Office or the defendants. In Las Palmas, the news did not go unnoticed.
