The National Authority for Transparency and Access to Information (ANTAI) took a close look at the Autonomous University of Chiriquí (UNACHI) and the result was clear. Twenty-eight officials ended up being sanctioned following an investigation into nepotism that began in late 2024, after complaints brought the issue to public attention. The process did not arise from a specific complaint. ANTAI acted on its own initiative and thoroughly reviewed the administrative and labor situation of 86 public servants, verifying appointments, positions, and possible family ties within the institution. The review targeted relationships prohibited by law, especially when there is control, supervision, or decision-making power between relatives. The investigation was based on Article 41 of the Code of Ethics for Public Servants, which prohibits relatives up to the third degree of consanguinity and second degree of affinity from working together in the same public entity, especially if one influences the other. After the analysis, ANTAI recommended the dismissal of 15 officials at different hierarchical levels of UNACHI. In addition, 12 servers were sanctioned with a fine of 50% of a monthly salary, while two female officials received a sanction equivalent to 10% of their salary. The case does not end there. The entity reported that it maintains open investigations against about 40 more UNACHI officials, whose files are still under review and have no final decision. From ANTAI they left a direct message: the investigations continue and it will not be allowed for practices contrary to public ethics to be normalized within State institutions.
