A recent ruling by Panama’s supreme court (CSJ), which effectively shelves a major corruption case dating back to the previous Cambio Democrático (CD) government led by former president Ricardo Martinelli (2009-2014), is one of a number of reasons why Panama’s institutions are being subjected to scrutiny over their anti-corruption efforts. It comes as the head of the attorney general’s office (AG), Kenia Porcell, has publicly denounced “intimidation and threats” by the country’s main “economic, political, business, media, and banking” interests in relation to five “emblematic” corruption cases. These include the case involving Brazilian engineering company Odebrecht, which implicates President Juan Carlos Varela [WR-17-32], who has given his public backing to Porcell and called on the CSJ president, José Ayú Prado, to address the “irregularities” in the judiciary.End of preview - This article contains approximately 688 words.
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