City Hall under investigation by Comptroller General
Panama’s controversial mayor Bosco Vallarino who has been keeping a relatively low profile recently will soon be under the spotlight again.
The nation’s Comptroller General is opening an investigation into the administrative processes of the capital city, to ensure “the proper use of funds and public goods.”
In his first year in office the mayor came under public scrutiny for the awarding of no-bid contracts to local businesses with inside connections, leading up to the abortive Christmas Village program on the Cinta Costera, for authorizing payment for a trip for his wife to Taiwan, the refurbishing of the City Hall, and the no-bid ordering of garbage trucks costing scores of millions of dollars.
At one stage he laid the blame for his problems on his management team and publicly fired them. Later he fired the city treasurer and came out with allegations of misspending by the previous mayor Juan Carlos Navarro.
Comptroller General Secretary Edwin Raúl Herrera said the office received three complaints about the way business was being conducted in the municipal offices from City Council members José Muñoz and Sergio Gálvez who presented paperwork to back up their complaints.
Comptroller Bianchini Gioconda Torres said that her office would act quickly on the issue, and investigate the complaints in an impartial manner.