FIVE MEMBERS of the staff at the El Renacer prison in  Balboa  were arrested  on Friday, June 3 during a raid  headed by Third Anti­-Corruption Prosecutor Adecio Mojica.

All those arrested were  officials of the National Penitentiary System, including  four custodians and another officer whose role was not specified.

The raid was  related to bribes paid by prisoners for special treatment.

El Renacer is home to numerous high profile suspects awaiting trial on corruption charges and other “white collar” prisoners serving time, like former Supreme Court judge Alejandro Moncada Luna. It was also the last prison to house former Panama military dictator  Manuel  Antonio Noriega, who had been behind bars in the USA and France since 1989.