Panama judge sends ominous 'crime pays' message
Tuesday, December 19, 2017
![](https://www.centralamericalink.com/storage/images/2017/12/19/201712191544310.judicial2.jpg)
The return of a mansion, bank accounts a Porsche, a yacht, silverware and other symbols of wealth to a former government official convicted of embezzlement and money laundering is proof that “crime pays and generates a “picture of impunity” to ordinary citizens, say leaders of civil society reacting to a decision of Fifteenth Criminal Judge Leslie Loaiza, which spurred cries of outrage and disbelief.
The beneficiary of the decision is the former director of the now-defunct National Assistance Program. Rafael Guardia Jaen.
Source: Newsroom Panama