The hearing began early in the morning and resumed after a recess, after initially declaring the detention illegal. Among the details presented, it was explained that one of the accused deposited checks from a Chiriquà university, which were then split into 30 checks of $2,000 each. The community board's account was frozen on December 30 with $432,000 remaining due to errors detected when trying to cash another check. The defense presented a plan to return the $60,000 that had already been cashed. The hearing continues, and it is expected that the judge of guarantees will determine the precautionary measures for the five accused. A guarantees judge charged five people detained in the Arnulfo Arias Madrid district, accused of financial crimes and money laundering. Among the accused are the district's representative, two former employees of a local bank, and three people linked to the community board. According to the Public Ministry, the facts are related to a presumed network dedicated to check forgery between December 27 and 30, 2024. The documents involved total more than $492,000 and were distributed in 30 checks of $2,000 each to people who, according to the prosecution, had no contractual relationship with the community board. The defense ensures that the payments corresponded to services provided at the district's Christmas parade. The National Police and the Public Ministry carried out the operation that led to the arrest of these five people. The former employees face charges for financial crimes, while the representative, the treasurer, and a promoter of the community board are accused of money laundering and other financial crimes.
