The Supreme Court of Justice of Panama upheld the 96-month prison sentence (8 years) against the former director of the Institute for Human Resources Training and Utilization (IFARHU), Samuel Benjamin Buitrago Comrie, after rejecting a recourse filed by his defense in the embezzlement case. The decision was made by the Second Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice of Panama, which, through a decree dated February 13, 2026, dismissed as inadmissible a request for clarification filed by the defense of the former official against the second-instance sentence issued on July 3, 2024, by the Higher Court of Criminal Cases. With this ruling, the Court maintains the conviction against Buitrago Comrie for the crime against the public administration in the form of aggravated embezzlement, to the detriment of IFARHU. Irregularities in Economic Aid. The investigation originated from a complaint filed in August 2010 by the Comptroller General of the Republic of Panama, following an audit that detected irregularities in the management of funds granted through the complementary Economic Aid program. According to investigations by the Public Ministry of Panama, between January 2007 and June 2008, economic benefits were granted to people who did not attend educational centers or universities, in addition to detecting a lack of follow-up on the requirements to access the social support program. The audits established that the economic damage to the State amounted to $155,527, an amount that motivated the criminal action that culminated in the conviction of the former director of IFARHU. The judicial decree was fixed on February 27, 2026, formally notifying the parties of the decision that voids new attempts to modify the sentence and consolidates the sentence imposed on the former official.
