BRIEFS. judicial

Prosecutor investigates murder claims

Prosecutor Dimas Guevara has conducted inspections of police archives and requested information from court offices in the Darién as part of his investigation into the alleged deaths of Colombian immigrants between 1982 and 1983.

The people killed were allegedly thrown out of helicopters on the orders of Luis Papo Córdoba, who was in charge of the region during the rule of Manuel Antonio Noriega. La Prensa published a detailed account of the deaths, based on eyewitness observations from former members of the military who were stationed in the area at the time.

The prosecutor is carrying out an investigation to determine if there is enough evidence for criminal charges to be filed.

He is examining records to determine if the stories told by the witnesses can be verified.

The witnesses said that at least 20 people were killed. The victims, who were all being held in a detention center for being in the country illegally, were apparently picked at random.

Guevara said that he will also take statements from individuals who served in the area at that time, including the officers interviewed by La Prensa.