Panamanian investigators remove documents from offices of co
ABC News
Panamanian investigators have carried documents out of offices belonging to a Hong Kong-owned company that operated ports at either end of the Panama Canal until its concession was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court last month
PANAMA CITY -- Panamanian investigators carried documents Thursday out of offices belonging to a Hong Kong-owned company that operated ports at either end of the Panama Canal until its concession was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court last month.
Public prosecutor Azael Samaniego, of the anti-corruption office, told local media outlets that visits were made to three offices of the Panama Ports Company in Panama City and that the Panama Maritime Authority and investigators from the National Directorate of Judicial Investigation also participated. The Panama Ports Company is the local subsidiary of Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison.
Samaniego said his office had information pointing to the possible commission of a crime, but he did not specify what the crime could be. He said an investigation was in its early stages.
The Panama Ports Company did not respond to requests for comment, nor did Panamanian law enforcement agencies.
The investigation comes days after the Maritime Authority seized the Balboa and Cristobal ports from the Panama Ports Company. The company has previously rejected the court’s ruling and the Chinese government has accused Panama’s government of bowing to United States pressure.
Air China will resume flights between Beijing and North Korea starting on March 30 after train services restarted earlier this week
A strong chemical smell has forced a temporary halt to flights at four major airports near Washington, D.C. The FAA says air traffic controllers cannot manage traffic safely during the incident
U.S. job openings rose to nearly 7 million in January, better than expected at a time when the American labor market has looked sluggish
Advocates say alligator farming has turned the demand for boots and bags into a boost for a species often seen as scary, bothersome or good only for their leathery skins
The U.S. economy, hobbled by last fall’s 43-day government shutdown, advanced at a sluggish 0.7% annual rate from October through December, the Commerce Department reported Friday in a big downgrade of its initial estimate
China has sharply reduced its warplane flights near Taiwan and analysts aren't sure why
South African soldiers deployed in the country’s high-crime areas have dismantled illegal mining operations Johannesburg
The Panama Canal's administrator says the war in the Middle East and higher fuel prices make the canal more appealing for shippers
Tom Dundon has sold a portion of the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes to three new minority owners
An artisanal mine collapse in the Central African Republic has killed eight miners and injures five others
The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate rose again this week, reflecting ongoing bond market jitters over the war with Iran
The biggest new restaurant trend is small
Some commercial ships near or in the Strait of Hormuz and in the Persian Gulf have declared themselves as China-linked since the Iran war began, marine traffic data show, as their operators try to reduce risks of being targeted in attacks