Federico Suárez: Panama Ex-Minister Gets 16 Years for Embezzlement
Federico Suárez, Panama's former public works minister, got 16 years in prison for embezzlement on two Panama City road projects; the ruling can be appealed. The post Federico Suárez: Panama Ex-Minister Gets 16 Years for Embezzlement appeared first on The Rio Times .
Former Panama public works minister Federico Suárez has been sentenced to 16 years in prison for embezzlement in connection with two overpriced road projects. The ruling, made on September 29, 2026, comes from the First Liquidating Court for Criminal Cases in Panama City and can still be appealed. The court found Suárez guilty of peculado, the legal term for embezzlement of public funds, and banned him from public office for 16 years following his prison term.
The two projects, the widening of Avenida Domingo Díaz and the rebuilding of streets in the Casco Antiguo, cost more than US$90 million more than their reasonable costs, according to forensic audits. The conviction follows earlier cases, including a money laundering case for which Suárez received an 158-month sentence and a fine of US$27.4 million in November 2023.
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