A Colombian national died in a shootout outside of the house of a former Panama minister on Thursday in what authorities presumed to be an attempted robbery.
The exchange of fire took place in front of the house of ex-President Mireya Moscoso and was presumably an attempted robbery on the former Minster of Justice, Arnulfo Escalona.
Escalona was driving in his car close to the house of President Moscoso in the Carrasquilla district of Panama City when the events occurred.
Having noticed several suspicious individuals following him around on a motorcycle, Escalona decided to park his car in the vicinity of the former President’s house and remained in the vehicle.
“At this stage, some kind of fight broke out as the assailant pointed the gun at the ex-Minister. When the scene was spotted by one of Moscoso’s bodyguards, the shootout began. The whole situation wasn’t very clear,” said the Minister for Security, Rodolfo Aguilera, before adding that the criminals were two men and a woman.
“There are three people involved. One dead and two survivors. All of them of Colombian nationality,” Aguilera said.
As a result of gunshot wounds to the thigh, one of the Colombian men died, while the woman was injured. Escalona was not injured. The last of the alleged attackers was arrested on a plane while trying to flee the country.
Although the investigation is focusing on an attempted robbery, police officials don’t exclude the possibility of an attempted kidnapping.
Two of the alleged Colombian assailants arrived in Panama on October 12th, a source close to the investigation told French news agency AFP.
Sources
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Colombianos habrían atentado contra exministro panameño (El Espectador)