NAS PANAMA MONTHLY REPORT AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENTS: APRIL AND

UNCLAS PANAMA 000991 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SNAR KJUS MCAP PM SUBJECT: NAS PANAMA MONTHLY REPORT AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENTS: APRIL AND MAY 2007 ¶1. (U) This cable provides a brief overview of NAS/Panama activities and major law enforcement and counternarcotics developments during the months of April and May, 2007. Arrest of Former SMN Director -------------- ¶2. (SBU) In May, Panama's Attorney General (AG) Office arrested former National Maritime Service (SMN, navy equivalent) director Ricardo Traad Porras on charges of corruption, illegal enrichment, and conspiracy. The arrest is a major anti-corruption move on the part of Panama, and was something the Embassy had advocated for some time. NAS assistance provided essential support for the drug prosecutors (as well as DEA staff) to travel to the U.S. to attain important evidence. Visit of Embassy Managua Legal Advisor -------------- ¶3. (SBU) In April, NAS facilitated the visit to Panama of AmEmbassy Managua resident legal advisor Fernando Groene. Groene met with key Embassy staff and top officials of the AG in order to draft a list of recommended changes to Panama's draft legal reforms to the criminal procedure code. We continue to work with Groene to develop a coordinated plan of advice/assistance to Panama on this key pending reform. Our foremost goal is that the new criminal procedure code enable Panama to effectively prosecute drug-related offenders. Police Modernization Program -------------- ¶4. (U) Our continuing police modernization program, focused on moving the National Police (PNP) toward a community-based, democratic model of policing, garnered a large amount of positive press, both print and electronic. Senior Panamanian officials have lauded the program in public remarks. The PNP has gone so far as to adopt our suggested changes to its mission statement. ¶5. (U) Academic staff of the Southern Police Institute (SPI), senior members of the Miami and Boston Police Departments, and a former London Police commander offered instruction to more than 30 senior officers of the PNP and four members of the Costa Rican Public Force (Fuerza Publica) during April and May. In addition, session three of our PELSS (Police Executive Leadership Seminar Series) seminar focused on advanced case studies of police management and use of technology to solve problems. Beta testing of the INCRIDEFA crime statistics and mapping database has successfully concluded. We will begin connecting the system in the Panama City metropolitan area in mid-June. Regional Efforts -------------- ¶6. (SBU) NAS PSC's Chip Gusler and Jorge Medina conducted a ten-day TDY to Costa Rica and Nicaragua (in coordination with local NAS offices) to develop proposals for coordination on regional counternarcotics issues. One result is the decision to include officers from both nations in the next DHS/ICE investigators course at the Federal Law Enforcement Education and Training Center (FLETC). PSC Don Gosselin also traveled to Costa Rica in May with a ranking PNP officer to deliver a first installment of PELSS in San Jose. Maritime Vessel Repairs -------------- ¶7. (SBU) We continue to advance on our project to rehabilitate the SMN's four existing USCG-donated 82-foot patrol vessels. The first ship is close to 50 percent complete and two of the remaining three vessels are having some exterior hull work completed. Inter alia, these repairs should enable the vessels to participate in the upcoming PANAMAX exercise. EATON