[NYTr] Panama's Posada  Pal ex-Pres Moscoso in 2nd Narco Scandal
 
Date: Wed, 3 Oct 2007 00:24:56 -0500 (CDT)

Via NY Transfer News Collective  *  All the News that Doesn't Fit
 
PL via Granma Daily - Oct 1, 2007
http://www.granma.cubaweb.cu/english/news/art77.html

Ex-Panamanian President in Narco Scandal

By LEONEL NODAL

Ex-Panamanian President Mireya Moscoso (1999-2004) has been implicated
in another drug trafficking scandal after it was revealed that an
alleged Colombian drug kingpin, who bought a Panamanian island, was
able to easily obtain Panamanian ID and bank accounts in Panama during
Moscosobs administration.

An official report cited by the El Panama America newspaper states that
the Immigration Office granted Nelson Urrego Cardenas, who was arrested
Saturday for money laundering, permanent residence in Panama on
November 19, 2003 in just 24 hours.

The residency papers of the Norte del Valle Colombia Cartel member were
signed by the former deputy director of Immigration, Javier Tapia. The
following day, Immigration director Ilka de Bares sent the resolution
granting the Colombian permanent residency to the general director in
charge of issuing identity cards, Luis A. Bermudez, so that Urrego
Cardenasb Panamanian ID could be processed.

BAD MEMORY

Under the headline entitled "Does Moscoso know how the drug trafficker
entered the country?" El Panama America offers the version of events
according to former president Moscoso who governed when Urrego Cardenas
bought the island for $12 million US, along with several farms and
businesses without anyone noticing.

Both Moscoso and her ex-deputy Finance minister, Publio Cores, told the
newspaper that they were unaware of the irregular manner in which the
Colombian drug trafficker obtained Chapera island in the Las Perlas
archipelago and other properties.

Cortes avoided going into details, alleging that he didnbt remember
having participated in the negotiations for the island, reports the
newspaper.

Previously, Colombian soccer player Freddy Rincon, arrested in Brazil
and subject to possible extradition to Panama for money laundering,
said that Mireya Moscoso had congratulated him for investing his money
in a business that turned out to belong to a drug trafficker. (PL) 

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