SALOMON SHAMAH the master of election campaign dirty tricks, and known as Ricardo Martinelli’s Svengali, has disappeared into the shadows since the exit of his alter ego. But new light is being thrown on his role in Panama’s political back alleys.

Shamah  managed to avoid exiting the protective favor of Martinelli even after Drug Enforcement Agency( DEA) reports  led to the loss of his US visa while serving as director of tourism.

La Prensa, on Thursday January 21   said many see him as the "creative director" of the  campaign walking in the shoes of the people,  that led Martinelli to power. But the shoes of the people were used to enable elected and appointed officials, and their business cohorts to walk away with multi millions of dollars of the peoples’ money

He  was the creator  of paid attacks on critics of  Martinelli , and the notorious spreaders of disinformation known as “The gladiators” who infiltrated  social networks and media comment sections ,including Newsroom, Add to that a government funded call center spreading misinformation  like manure on a cornfield , during the last election; for which others are facing trial, but not Shamah, who has  the ability to walk through a  thunderstorm, without an umbrella and arrive home safely without a spot  on his suit.

His litany  of involvement including  notorious scandals like Financial Pacific, attempts to pressure a judge to give favorable decisions to Martinelli insiders,and, like a ferret finding and   threatening witnesses, have been documented in Newsroom, and elsewhere, but until now not   a whiff of an investigation.

A source recently reported  a cabal of nine influential string pullers who have managed to keep him out of the sights of the albeit compromised) judicial authorities, but the latest denunciation in the National Assembly, linking  him to Supreme Court President and former Attorney General Ayu Prado, where the buck was supposed to stop, may make escape more difficult.

He was also involved in  initiatives to create laws  related to  the Land Administration Authority with its own shady record of land deals involving other former Martinelli insiders like disappeared “Gabby”Btesh  and Jimmy Papadimitriu

A cable from the US ambassador Barbara Stephenson, published on Wikileaks in 2009, said that, according to the DEA: "Shamah was the contact between Martinelli and [ Colombian David] Murcia ", now in a US jail, with a 32-year sentence in Colombia awaiting him when he gets out.

The dirty tricks squad spread the word that the PRD had received $6million from the fraudster and the  PRD  mayoral candidate fell from a 10 point lead to a loss. Panama got Bosco Vallarino, who in turn was deposed by Martinelli, and replaced with another CD follow-the-leader. The only funds donated by Murcia were traced to Martinelli’s CD.

Meanwhile Ignacio Fabrega, a former director of of the Superintendency of Securities (VPS), now serving five years in prison after pleading guilty to having supplied confidential information to Financial Pacific (FP) said that  in a meeting with  Martinelli and Shamah in the presidency in 2014, he was asked to avoid further intervention in FP.

Reports reveal  that on January 8, 2013 Shamah had a private meeting with West Valdes, former executive of FP at the Bristol hotel.

Witnesses say that Shamah  handed Valdes an envelope and took his arm to his car. Minutes later, Valdes got out and entered the hotel, without disclosing the contents of the envelope.

After leaving the government, Shamah continued his controversial involvement with Martinelli and , in January 2015, Giacomo Tamburrelli, former director of The National Assistance program (PAN)  reported that Martinelli, accompanied by Shamah, threatened his wife, because he had accused Martinelli  of having ordered the hiring of  Lerkshore International for the purchase of $60 million of dehydrated, food. (The hearing of  the case and Martinelli’s involvement is Jan.27).

In his official role as tourism boss Shamah blundered from minor to major, admitting  publicly that he knew nothing of the tourism industry.

He  hired directly a company, to create a Tourism Authority website  for $1 million.

Another direct hire for over  $300,000  went to the brother of the former Minister of Education Lucy Molinar to promote the country via the Internet. According to  Shamah, all Molinar did was call to tell him that her  brother wanted to present a proposal.

There are many scandals in the Shamah closet. Will the cabal be able to keep the door shut?