A MAN  SERVING  a five-year prison sentence, who said he acted on instructions from Ricardo Martinelli and ex-tourism boss Salomon  Shamah, had his request to move from jail to house arrest rejected on Friday, August 18.

[caption id="attachment_74778" align="alignleft" width="259"] Shamah, Fabrega, Martinelli[/caption]

Ignacio Fábrega, who turns 71 in September, argued that he has health problems such as lumbar, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. He has been detained since  August 2015 at the El Renancer Prison.

At Fábrega's request, the prosecution asked the compliance judge to order an examination by the Institute of Forensic Medicine and Forensic Sciences.

Fábrega, who was a fugitive for four months,  appeared on August 25, 2015  at a First Criminal Court hearing and pleaded guilty to giving confidential information to the Financial Pacific brokerage

On June 23, 2017, the Second Criminal Superior Court upheld the sentence of five years' imposed on Fábrega.

During the hearing, Fabregas said that he acted on the instructions of former President Ricardo Martinelli and Panama Tourism Authority administrator Salomón Shamah.

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