crime

Warrant issued for Murcia

Police have initiated a search for a Colombian businessman who is wanted for various crimes.

The businessman had opened several offices in Panama and lived here full time.

Gabriel Rodríguez/la prensa

under watch: Authorities say they are investigating businesses started in Panama by Colombian David Murcia Guzmán, who is wanted in that country for money laundering and other financial crimes.1120866

Police began a search yesterday for Colombian David Murcia Guzmán, whose home country has requested his extradition on charges of money laundering and illegal acquisition of money.

Attorney General Ana Matilde Gómez said yesterday that she had opened an investigation to determine whether Murcia committed the same crimes in Panama. Gómez also called on him to surrender.

José Ayú Prado, head of the Directorate of Judicial Investigation, confirmed that Interpol has asked Panamanian authorities to capture Murcia for purposes of extradition.

It was learned that authorities raided an office in Marbella yesterday afternoon that was used by one of Murcia's companies, DMG. Several employees were taken into custody to answer questions about the businessman's whereabouts.

Sources at Immigration said that it was implementing measures to prevent Murcia from leaving the country by land, air or sea.

A Colombian court yesterday ordered the arrest of Murcia, as well as the arrest of his wife, Giovana Ivette León, his mother, Amparo Guzmán de Murcia, and his associates William Suárez, Antonio Bastidas, Margarita Pabón and Daniel Angel Rueda. Pabón and Angel Rueda have been taken into custody.

Murcia is accused of using his Colombian-based businesses as a pyramid scheme, offering investors exceedingly high interest rates to get them to invest money.

He had been living in a luxury apartment in Panama City, where he also had opened four branches of his business.

Investigators in Panama have been unable to determine if people here have been victims of his pyramid scheme.

Murcia also had offices in several other Latin American countries, and had been planning to expand into Mexico next year.

Yesterday, Gómez said that Panamanian authorities would be working closely with their Colombian counterparts in this case.

Gómez added that she had a telephone conversation yesterday with Colombia's top prosecutor, Mario Iguarán Arana, and confirmed that Murcia could also face criminal charges in this country.

Gómez also held a meeting yesterday with senior prosecutors specializing in drugs and financial crimes to establish strategies to be followed in the investigation taking place here.

The National Securities Commission reiterated yesterday that companies associated with DMG are not licensed to carry out brokerage or investment services.

Therefore, the commission warned that the activities of these companies “are not subject to the control, regulation and supervision of the commission, so it can not endorse or guarantee the performance of its operations.”