judicial

Proof of acquittal evades Delgado

la prensa

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Retired General Rubén Dario Paredes, one of four military leaders ruling the country in 1970, said yesterday that Daniel Delgado Diamante was never subjected to the rigors of an investigation by the Ministerio Público following the shooting death of Corporal Andrés García on 38 years ago.

Paredes, who along with Omar Torrijos, Florencio Flores and Rodrigo García, commanded the country’s National Guard, clarified that Delgado Diamante, as a recently-appointed lieutenant, was called before a military disciplinary board, which ruled that he had “engaged in a criminal act involving bloodshed." The case, however, never made it to the Ministerio Público, he added, in an interview with La Prensa after having given his version of events on the television program Trocha Abierta.

"It was not placed under the responsibility of a competent authority because of an oversight on the part of his superiors, myself included," said Paredes, who commented that he is certain that the young Delgado Diamante “had no intention of taking the life of any fellow citizen.”

When asked why he failed to follow through with the legal proceedings, Paredes blamed the "confusion" of the times, though three months had passed since troops commanded by the then Major Manuel Antonio Noriega stifled a counterattack against Omar Torrijos, bringing a relative calm to the leadership.

Apart from Paredes’ statement, Attorney General Ana Matilde Gómez’s call for any prosecutor, judge or witness who participated in the military investigation in 1970 to come forward with information has failed to yield a single response.

Meanwhile, PRD presidential candidate Balbina Herrera, came forward in defense of the beleaguered minister and his decision to fight the allegations. "I believe in him," she said, in stark contrast to the comments of Cambio Democratico candidate Ricardo Martinelli and Partido Panameñista presidential hopeful Juan Carlos Varela, who have both called for Delgado’s resignation.

Delgado has been on unpaid leave since Tuesday, when President Martín Torrijos formalized the appointment of Rodrigo Cigarruista to take over the position of Ministro de Gobierno y Justicia. Cigarruista will be replaced as the head of Department of Safety by Luis Adames, who was previously in charge of Legal Services for the Ministerio de Gobierno.

Torrijos explained that the changes will remain until either Delgado returns or another decision is made.