politics

Delgado fires back

The suspended minister of government and justice filed a lawsuit for libel yesterday.

He has accused a social organization of falsely accusing him of murder and drug trafficking.

la prensa

at arms: Daniel Delgado Diamante is shown during target practice when he was in the National Guard. He is accused of fatally shooting a junior officer in 1970.1110409

Daniel Delgado Diamante yesterday lodged a libel complaint before the Public Prosecutor against Angélica Martín, Mauro Zúñiga and other members of the social organization Red Democracia Ciudadana.

In the lawsuit, Delgado refers to statements given by Martín on Oct. 23 on the television program Debate Abierto, as well as previous comments Martín made to government officials.

According to the lawsuit, the organization said Delgado's appointment to the post of minister of government and justice was not allowed because of his alleged involvement in the 1983 execution of Félix Antonio Serrano and his role in the government of Manuel Antonio Noriega, in which the group alleged that Delgado participated in drug trafficking.

Martín was on the television show commenting about allegations that Delgado had been involved in the shooting death of a fellow National Guard officer in 1970. After those allegations became public, Delgado was suspended from his cabinet duties.

Delgado stated in his complaint that allegations made by Red Democracia Ciudadana were “false and damaging,” and said that the Truth Commission, which investigated crimes committed during the military dictatorship, never charged him in Serrano's death. In addition, he said that he has never been punished for crimes linked to drug trafficking or executions in Panama or anywhere else.

After he delivered his complaint, Delgado said that the claim was made against those who have attacked his honor.

“I have asked to leave my office for a month without pay to confront this slander, and to be able to defend the accusations that have been made against me,” he said. “Those who have accused me will now, in turn, be charged and will have to prove what they have said against me.”

Also yesterday, President Martín Torrijos said that he hoped the investigation into Delgado’s alleged involvement in the 1970 shooting could be cleared up “in the shortest possible time.”

When asked what would happen if the investigation took longer than the 30 days of leave granted to Delgado, the president simply restated that he hoped the situation would be resolved in that time.

Delgado has claimed that the incident, in which Andrés García was shot in his Panama Viejo home, was fully investigated at the time and that he was cleared of any wrongdoing. Other officials, however, have disputed that account.