Panama Progresses in Poison Drug Case
Panamanian authorities made progress Tuesday in the investigations to clarify penal responsibility for the 38 people who died from acute renal insufficiency from drugs contaminated with the substance Dietileneglycol.

Prosecutor Dimas Guevara called on the relatives of the victims to testify, and those who have adulterated drugs at home to hand them in as they will be used as evidence.

Guevara noted there are arrest warrants against three persons linked to a company that sold the adulterated drugs to Social Insurance Administration(CSS).

Spanish justice received a response from Rafer International SA about the 2003 purchase of poisoned raw material from a paper-only institution, Grupo Comercial Medicom, and its anonymous directors are wanted.

People s Defender Monica Perez revealed that Health Minister Camilo Alleyne has not responded to the questionaire sent as part of the investigation.

Perez also expressed dissatisfaction with CSS director Rene Luciani s answers to the 25 questions relating to the process of acquiring the material and the methodology in the elaboration and distribution of these adulterated drugs.