Government lied in Murcia – SPI agents affair

PANAMA. The government announced last month that they learned about the SPI (Institutional Protection Service) mischief in the David Murcia case through former president Mireya Moscoso. But according to Attorney General Ana Matilde Gomez, she warned the Torrijos’ administration five months ago.

Panama’s Attorney General confirmed whispered suspicions that the Public Ministry had informed the government of the scandal involving SPI members protecting the Colombian businessman David Murcia.

According to Gomez, the Public Ministry informed the government on the day that Murcia was detained that SPI agents were guarding the businessman, as something Gomez herself had witnessed.

Gomez had received a couple of days at a Sheraton suite as a birthday gift from her husband, ending up close to Murcia’s room.

Although she didn’t recognize the SPI agents, she claims her bodyguards did.

“I thought it was a Minister staying in the room,” she said. “It wasn’t until after November 19, when they captured Mr Murcia, that we learned that it was he who was staying on the same hotel floor as us.”

Gomez said that one of her bodyguards recognized Murcia as the “young man staying in the Sheraton” the day he was detained.

The government was informed soon after.

But when Murcia announced that he received protection by the SPI when interviewed from inside the La Picota jail in Colombia, the government quickly denied the charges.

Rafael Mezquita, Minister of the Presidency, said at that time that “the only involvement that a Panamanian security entity had with Mr David Murcia Guzman was during his arrest.”

The government proved willing to accept the facts only after Moscoso made public that SPI agents assigned to her (Fernando Aguilar, Rodrigo Ureña and Andres Arauz) were working for Murcia.

This raising questions about why investigations into the affair were not made sooner.

La Estrella tried to contact Minister Rafael Mezquita, Communications Secretary Erich Rodríguez Auerbach, but received no response

SPI agent Fernando Aguilar was in charge of guarding the entrance to Murcia’s suite, in surveying who went in and out of the elevator. He also controlled access to Murcia’s room.

Last month, Aguilar declared mayoralty candidate Bobby Velazquez and his father came to visit Murcia, where they allegedly met Alex Ventura and Murcia.

Velazquez claims they spoke about general topics, Ventura, one of Murcia’s partners, has said they always talked about business.

Murcia has said that during the meeting they decided upon the $6 million to be donated to the PRD campaign: $3 million for the mayoralty campaign, and $3 million for the presidential one.

According to La Prensa , Aguilar has declared the Velazquez’s left the suite carrying a carry-on bag, which they didn’t have when going in.

Velazquez denies these claims.