The Twelfth Civil Court notified local banks that the $19,184,680.00 attachment over Lisa, S.A.'s funds has been lifted following appellate confirmation of the BDT-Lisa settlement.

Basis for the Lifting

The lifting of the attachment rests on the Fourth Superior Tribunal of Justice of Panama's ruling of September 30, 2024, published by edict on October 1, 2024 (Edict 249-24), which confirmed the Twelfth Circuit Civil Court's Order 898-2022 of April 12, 2022. That order approved the settlement between BDT Investments Inc. and Lisa, S.A. and directed the lifting of the attachment decreed in Order 1838-2012 of December 12, 2012. With appellate confirmation, the lifting became final and could be communicated to the banking institutions.

Scope of the Measure

The attachment covered all funds held by Lisa, S.A. in local banks, up to $19,184,680.00. The original communication to banking institutions was made through Official Notice No. 56 of January 14, 2013, which is superseded by the present notification. This notice forms part of a set of three communications issued on the same date: one addressed to Villamorey, S.A. (Official Notice 28), another to the Eleventh Circuit Civil Court (Official Notice 29), and the present one, addressed to the banks, each lifting a distinct component of the 2012 attachment.

Procedural Context

The issuance of this notice marks the start of the material enforcement phase of the settlement within Exp. 31638-12. The effective release of the funds nonetheless continued to face obstacles, as shown by BDT's later filings: a Motion of February 3, 2025 seeking a letter rogatory to communicate the lifting to foreign jurisdictions, and subsequent requests for direct bank orders to release the retained funds.

Signatories

• Lcda. Laura E. Aguilar, Substitute Judge, Twelfth Circuit Civil Court of the First Judicial Circuit of Panama