Bosch acknowledges criminal complaint after two-year delay, invokes right to silence
May 27 2025
Juan Luis Bosch Gutierrez
In this filing dated May 27, 2025, Juan Luis Bosch Gutierrez appeared before Panama's Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office to formally acknowledge notification of Resolution No. 73-2023 admitting the criminal complaint filed by Lisa, S.A. for alleged crimes against public administration in the form of embezzlement. The document serves two procedural functions: it formally acknowledges receipt of the resolution and declares that the defendant will not provide any testimony before the Public Ministry.
The complaint was admitted on June 22, 2023, but Bosch was not personally notified for nearly two years. On March 21, 2025, the complaint's counsel, Jessica Canto, filed an urgent request for international judicial assistance to notify Bosch at his address in Guatemala City, after his residence there was confirmed during an appellate hearing. This filing represents Bosch's response to that notification effort, formalizing his awareness of the proceedings approximately two months after the assistance request.
Bosch grounded his refusal to testify in two provisions. He cited Article 8(g) of the American Convention on Human Rights, which enshrines the right of every person not to be compelled to testify against oneself. He also invoked Article 25 of the Political Constitution of the Republic of Panama, which establishes the privilege against self-incrimination. He further noted that he has been represented by counsel in the case since September 6, 2023, through a special power of attorney granted to attorney Moisés Joel Bartlett Quiel.
The document was signed by Bosch in Guatemala City on May 22, 2025, and notarially authenticated by Ana Isabel Garrido Prieto, a Guatemalan attorney and notary public. The signature was subsequently legalized by the Department of Consular Affairs and Legalizations of Panama's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through authentication certificate No. 1128515, issued on May 23, 2025, in Guatemala City.