Page 41 - Anatomy-of-a-Fraud

“The PRD Executive Committee extends its fraternal greetings and
is pleased to share with you the Torrijista philosophy. Fellow PRD

member: the time has come for the great task of electing the
country’s first worker. Thanks to your vote and those of your
friends, Nicky shall be that worker and your fellow PRD members
shall be legislators, mayors, representatives, and commissioners.

With your vote and two others we shall win a majority.

Vote and take others to vote for the PRD”.

Berta Torrijos de Arosemena Jorge Abadía A.
Chairperson Sec. General

The government, bent on clinging to power, invaded even the most intimate
aspect of a civil servant’s life, his salary, to send him one final message. One can only
surmise the reaction to this remarkable document of those employee who did not share
in the alleged Torrijista philosophy or did not consider themselves fellow party
members of those who signed this outrageous message. The mere fact that they had
access to government computers and were able to program them so that this message
would appear on the paychecks constitutes a glaring abuse of government resources. A
yet, this is but a minor instance of the partisan use to which resources were put, as shall
be seen in the next section of this chapter.

B. “We are the State.”

In addition to the coercion, the manipulation, and the abuses to which the
thousands of civil servants were subjected –as documented in the previous section– the
material resources of the government were openly used in favor of Barletta’s
candidacy.

No exact figures can be given in connection with this improper use of
government resources, in open defiance of the Constitution and the Electoral Code. A
detailed audit of public expenditures during the campaign would be required. And, of
course, the government would neither permit, nor could it withstand, such an audit.
However, and as previously stated, the fact that a cabinet reshuffling took place to make
room for people better known for their vote-buying abilities than for their professional
qualifications was a clear sign that the government intended to use all its resources to
aid its candidate.
He who controls ministries and autonomous bodies finds it very easy to divert
public funds to help a candidate. How many members of UNADE’s numerous