More Panama Arrests for Toxic Meds
The Panamanian Prosecutors Office ordered the arrest of Rene Luciani, director of Panama s Social Security (CSS) and two of his predecessors Friday, for the deaths of 101 people who consumed contaminated medications.

A Public Ministry release said it authorized the arrests of the three last CSS directors for crimes against collective security and affecting the population's public health.

Besides Luciani, Rolando Villalaz and Juan Jovane were also arrested to clarify facts related to the purchase of glycerine contaminated with a substance called dietileneglycol, with which CSS made the medications, the prosecutor said.

Luciani declared he had not committed any crime and that judicial authorities had acted under social pressure because of public criticism.

President Martin Torrijos defended Luciani s work and urged a scientific investigation with every guarantee.

Other arrests include Angel de la Cruz, an official with Medicom, which had sold the contaminated medications to CSS, Linda Thomas (former CSS laboratory head) and Pablo Solis, former director for Drugs and Medications.

The crisis began October 2, 2006, when health authorities decreed an epidemiological alert because of the deaths of several people from unknown causes.