Two Panamanian merchants of Chinese origin have expressed their concern about feeling discriminated against during an administrative process at the Ministry of Public Works (MOP). They claim to have been the subject of manipulation with false information in order to impose a fine of $75,000.00 due to alleged conduct they did not commit. According to the merchants, these actions have been carried out without the knowledge of the Minister of Public Works, José Luis Andrade Alegre.
Alicia NG De Chan and her daughter Diana Oris Chan NG submitted a note to the Minister's office on October 21 to inform him about an administrative complaint filed with the aim of evicting kiosks on a property adjacent to the Torrijos Carter San Miguelito Paid Zone. Their intention was to conduct a legitimate business operation that would create jobs, but they claim the situation has turned into a case of institutional violence.
Diana Oris Chan NG explained that they had reported individuals who had illegally extended their operations to the road servitude, resulting in a request for demolition. However, she reports that when they go to the MOP, they are mistreated by officials who distort their complaint, going so far as to claim that they self-incriminated, which is not true.
In their communication to the Minister of Public Works, the merchants detail that they have been unjustly accused by officials who misrepresented their allegations and took the situation stated in the complaint out of context. They request the Minister to listen to them through a fair process and not to impose unfounded aggravating factors.
