Provisional Dismissal No. 546: Prosecutor closed abuse case against Judge Le Ferrec

On April 24, 2023, Panama’s Anticorruption Prosecutor issued Provisional Dismissal No. 546-23, closing criminal case No. 202200067006. The case originated from a complaint filed by attorney Moisés Joel Bartlett Quiel, representing Ramiro López Nimatuj of Villamorey, S.A., accusing Judge Solange Le Ferrec Malek de Brooke of abuse of authority. The claim alleged that the judge failed to address a written objection before ordering a $44 million embargo in favor of Lisa, S.A. However, within 24 hours of receiving notice of a criminal complaint filed against her by Villamorey’s attorneys, the judge reversed her own order via Auto No. 1473/14606-21.

The Public Ministry found no criminal wrongdoing by Judge Le Ferrec. She had corrected the omission through proper legal channels, retroactively allowing Villamorey’s claim. Furthermore, a separate criminal complaint was filed by attorney Julio Rafael Martínez Vásquez against Villamorey, S.A. and its representatives, alleging they attempted to intimidate and manipulate the judge through this criminal complaint. The Prosecutor ultimately determined that the judge’s conduct did not constitute arbitrary abuse under Article 355 of the Penal Code and closed the case.