VZCZCXYZ0014
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHZP #1893 3541656
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 201656Z DEC 07
FM AMEMBASSY PANAMA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1572
INFO RHMFIUU/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC
RUCNFB/FBI WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/OSD WASHINGTON DC
RUMIAAA/HQ USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL
RUEABND/DEA HQS WASHDC

UNCLAS PANAMA 001893 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SNAR KJUS PGOV PM
SUBJECT: TECHNICAL JUDICIAL POLICE (PTJ) TO BE DISBANDED 
 
REF: PANAMA 400 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary:  On December 18, the National Assembly adopted a 
bill to dismantle the Technical Judicial Police (PTJ) and transfer 
most of its investigative personnel from under the jurisdiction of 
the Attorney General (AG) to the Panamanian National Police (PNP). 
President Torrijos is expected to sign the legislation, which has 
been a top 2007 priority, into law promptly.  The Torrijos 
Administration argued that the PTJ was riddled with corruption and 
that Panama would be best served by a strong, well-equipped criminal 
investigative arm within the PNP.  AG Ana Matilde Gomez strongly 
opposed the move, arguing that the Constitution mandated that 
criminal investigation belonged under her control.  The bill 
indicates that personnel within the new investigations division of 
the PNP would be under day-to-day control and direction of 
prosecutors.  Minister of Government and Justice Daniel Delgado 
assured the Ambassador in late September that the excellent level of 
cooperation U.S. law enforcement agencies enjoy with the PTJ would 
continue under the new GOP framework.  End Summary. 
 
¶2.  (U) The PTJ, until this legislation is implemented an arm of the 
semi-autonomous AG's Office, is Panama's rough FBI equivalent.  The 
PTJ had traditionally seen itself caught in bureaucratic turf 
battles between the Executive and the AG.  With passage of this 
bill, the Torrijos Administration, through a commanding 
Revolutionary Democratic Party (PRD) majority in the National 
Assembly, effectively dismantled the PTJ and placed most of its 
functions and personnel (roughly 85 percent) into an investigations 
division of the PNP, to be called the Judicial Investigation 
Directorate (DIJ).  Current PTJ officials moved into the PNP will be 
subject to administrative and personnel rules of the PNP.  However, 
the bill indicates that day-to-day control over the activities of 
those PNP personnel will be in the hands of prosecutors.  A small 
group of forensic and specialized PTJ personnel (some 15 percent) 
will remain under the control of the AG, serving largely as crime 
scene investigators. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Formal debate by the National Assembly on the GOP bill was 
minimal, and the only strong voice of opposition was AG Gomez, who 
argued that Panama's Constitution mandated that the PNP be charged 
with crime control and prevention and the AG with criminal 
investigation and prosecution.  Opposition legislators have 
threatened to challenge the constitutionality of the new framework 
in the courts.  Prospects for such challenges are unknown at this 
time, however.  The issue was before the public for over a year, 
beginning with the dismissal of former PTJ director Jaime Jacome in 
December 2006.  So far there has been no significant showing of 
public concern over the move to replace the PTJ.  Media coverage of 
the debates has been fairly objective, although the amount of 
coverage given to the AG's position indicates the media's support 
for her views.  There has been no editorial reaction to the new law, 
but at least one popular tabloid led with the headline: "The Terror 
Returns: The DENI re-born."  (Note: The DENI was the Noriega 
dictatorship's secret police.  End Note.)  President Torrijos, who 
made this legislation a top priority for 2007, is expected to sign 
the bill into law promptly. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Comment:  Post has strong working relationships with 
virtually all elements of the PNP and PTJ.  Post is actively working 
with senior GOP and AG interlocutors to ensure continued smooth 
functioning of our key sensitive units, currently within the PTJ. 
The GOP's changes have the potential to streamline the process for 
U.S. law enforcement agencies' interaction with police entities.  As 
always, it will depend on the caliber of the individuals in key 
management positions, and the resources they dedicate to train their 
officers.  It remains to be seen whether the GOP will adopt a 
structure that maintains much needed checks and balances on the 
Executive Branch.  Our message will continue to focus on the 
importance of investigative and prosecutorial results.  Post's Law 
Enforcement and Security Working Group (LESWG), headed by the 
Ambassador, conveyed that message in a late September session with 
Minister of Government and Justice Daniel Delgado. 
 
EATON