The Comptroller’s Office denied having interfered in the proceedings of the Public Ministry and assured that the presence of the comptroller Anel Flores in the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office responded only to the need to know the situation of the institution’s auditors who were being interviewed.
In a statement issued on April 10, the entity maintained that neither the comptroller nor officials of the institution “have intervened” in ongoing investigations against the former vice president of the Republic, Gabriel Carrizo, for the crime of unjustified enrichment.
According to the Comptroller’s Office, the comptroller’s visit occurred after forensic auditors spent more than eight hours being interviewed, which, it indicated, generated concern about the scope and form of the proceedings.
In the statement, the Comptroller’s Office reiterated its willingness to collaborate with all State entities and advocated for inter-institutional coordination that strengthens institutions and citizen trust.
The entity’s reaction arises after different sectors spoke out about the actions of Comptroller officials during an interview process with auditors.
This was evidenced in a video that circulated on social networks, where Flores’ presence was evident on the fourth floor of the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office.
Images circulated on social networks of the arrival of Comptroller Anel Flores at one of the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Offices, where he interrupted an interview with the auditors involved in the case of José Gabriel Carrizo, former vice president of Panama.https://t.co/Jv0CT2FvT1 pic.twitter.com/XwUl64KeBN
— La Prensa Panamá (@prensacom) April 10, 2026
It should be noted that on the morning of this Friday, July 10, The Press He managed to photograph the comptroller as he left a meeting with social communicators in a shopping center in the capital city.
The action has not remained isolated and has generated various reactions. Attorney Luis Carlos Gómez requested a meeting of the Judicial Council to report what happened.
In turn, the National Bar Association of Panama condemned the incident. and described it as a “serious excess of functions.” According to the union, chaired by Maritza Cedeño, these actions not only lack legal basis, but also compromise the validity of the evidence, violate due process and put the integrity of ongoing investigations at risk.
Also, the Foundation for the Development of Citizen Liberty warned that the intervention of the Comptroller’s Office prevented the conclusion of a crucial interview by prosecutors, which directly affected the course of the criminal investigation.
Likewise, they clarified the importance of the Comptroller’s experts, as auxiliaries of justice, collaborating with truth and transparency, without obstructing judicial processes.
Likewise, the Ibero-American Association of Public Ministries (AIAMP) assured that these events affect the autonomy and independence of the Attorney General’s Office in the search for the truth, “under the principle of objectivity, and the clarification of facts that may constitute crimes.”
They also recalled that according to the Lisbon Declaration of October 11, 2016, “the autonomy of the Public Ministry vis-à-vis the legislative and executive powers constitutes a guarantee for the equality of citizens before the law, the independence of the courts and the credibility of the justice system.”
