(PROBIDAD/IFEX) – Supreme Court Justice Winston Spadafora has filed a complaint against journalist Jean Marcel Chéry of “La Prensa” newspaper for an 18 July 2005 article reporting that Attorney General Ana Matilde Gómez had said that judges had to render accounts for their decisions, although Spadafora was scarcely mentioned in the article (see “Magistrados deben […]
(PROBIDAD/IFEX) – Supreme Court Justice Winston Spadafora has filed a complaint against journalist Jean Marcel Chéry of “La Prensa” newspaper for an 18 July 2005 article reporting that Attorney General Ana Matilde Gómez had said that judges had to render accounts for their decisions, although Spadafora was scarcely mentioned in the article (see “Magistrados deben rendir cuentas: Gómez” in http://www.prensa.com/t.asp?d=050718p281675).
Gómez proposed the creation of autonomous offices to evaluate the conduct of justice system officials, including Supreme Court judges and “procuradores” – those responsible for ensuring that all public officials meet their obligations. The offices would audit the handling of the cases those officials are responsible for.
In the article, after quoting Gómez’s comments, Chéry questioned Supreme Court decisions, including one announced by Magistrate Spadafora annulling a US$2 million debt owed by businessman Jean Figali, a prominent friend of former president Mireya Moscoso, to the Interoceanic Regional Authority (Autoridad de la Región Interoceánica, ARI), the public body responsible for administering the area and facilities returned to Panamanian authority under the Torrijos-Carter Canal Treaties.
Article 13 of the United Nations Convention against Corruption, to which Panama is a signatory, stipulates that each state must adopt appropriate measures to promote the active participation of individuals and civil society groups (which include the press) in the prevention of and the fight against corruption and to raise public awareness about the existence, causes and serious consequences of corruption. Probidad believes that the press’s role of watchdog is essential.
