Lisa details Bosch's depositary breaches and seeks provisional seizure of retained dividend funds
Oct 22 2024
Lisa, S.A.
This evidentiary brief, filed by Lisa, S.A. before Panama's Anti-Corruption Prosecutor on October 22, 2024, consolidates the evidence of Juan Luis Bosch Gutiérrez's breaches as judicial depositary of Lisa's assets in Villamorey, S.A. The filing is structured around three axes: noncompliance with a judicial set-off order, execution of an unlawful corporate capital increase, and procedural obstruction by Villamorey's registered agents.
The starting point. The original criminal complaint established that the Eleventh Circuit Civil Court of Panama, through Order No. 2277-2018 dated December 5, 2018, recognized that the dividends retained from Lisa far exceeded the judgment amount in favor of Villamorey, and ordered set-off as the mechanism to conclude the proceedings without auctioning Lisa's shares.
The brief emphasizes that, as of the filing date, Bosch has not complied with that judicial instruction. As judicial depositary, he was obligated to return the excess retained funds. His sustained omission over more than six years constitutes, according to Lisa, the factual basis for the embezzlement offense under investigation.
"Esta (VILLAMOREY) mantiene retenidos en depósito desde el 27 de octubre de 2007 dividendos de Lisa S.A. con motivo del secuestro decretado como propietaria del 33.3% del capital social de Villamorey S.A., dividendos que a la fecha de su depósito según las constancias en autos, superan en demasía el monto de la pretensión de reconvención, y la ejecución de la sentencia" (Page 2)
Practical effect. While Bosch retained Lisa's funds, Villamorey executed a capital increase through Public Deed No. 19,612 dated September 27, 2022, executed before Panama's Eighth Circuit Notary. Lisa maintains that this transaction had the sole purpose of diluting its 33.3% shareholding and concealing the unlawfully retained funds.
Legal framework. The brief presents a detailed analysis of Law No. 32 of 1927 (Panama's Corporations Law) to demonstrate that the capital increase was executed in violation of mandatory formal requirements:
The brief cites jurisprudence from Panama's First Superior Tribunal (judgment of December 29, 1995, Taboada Dopeso v. Taboada Dopeso et al.) that annulled a shareholders' meeting resolution for failure to properly notify the minority shareholder, holding that the omission of proper notice renders the adopted resolutions absolutely null and voids all subsequent acts derived from them.
Lisa reports that Galindo, Arias & López (GALA), the law firm serving as Villamorey's registered agent, has systematically obstructed procedural steps. GALA's staff have denied knowledge of the company they represent when receiving notifications from the Public Ministry's Notification Center, preventing delivery of official requests for financial information. This pattern is replicated in civil proceedings, where Lisa reports that its collection claims are deliberately delayed by Villamorey and its counsel.