Motion

Lisa, S.A. formally requests that the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office proceed with the indictment and formal linking of Juan Luis Bosch Gutierrez to the criminal proceeding, pursuant to Article 280 of Panama's Criminal Procedure Code. The motion argues that case file 33850-23 contains sufficient evidence to support charges for the misappropriation of dividends that Bosch undertook to retain as judicial depositary of funds belonging to Lisa.

Evidentiary Basis

The motion identifies the following evidence already on file:

• Auto No. 2277-2018 from the Eleventh Circuit Civil Court, now final and executory, which establishes the existence and ownership of the dividends in favor of Lisa, S.A.
• Bosch's letter of November 25, 2008 addressed to the Eleventh Circuit Civil Court, in which he, acting as legal representative of Villamorey, S.A., assumed judicial depositary obligations and declared that the retained funds were at the court's disposal at any time.
• Public Registry certifications confirming the existence of Lisa, S.A. and Villamorey, S.A., as well as Bosch's status as legal representative at the time he assumed depositary duties.
• Minutes of a Villamorey, S.A. shareholders' meeting that, according to the motion, evidence the concealment or falsification of accounting books and financial records.
• Official notices from the Eleventh Circuit Civil Court and judicial officer interviews confirming Bosch's depositary status. Weeks before this motion, the Senior Clerk of the Eleventh Circuit Civil Court, Javier Castillero Anzola, testified that Villamorey never accounted for the retained funds and that the court had no knowledge of whether the company actually preserved them.
• Official notices from multiple Panamanian civil courts, received between November 2023 and March 2024, confirming that no proceedings exist against Lisa, S.A.

Legal Argument

The motion anticipates a potential defense argument that the dispute belongs in civil rather than criminal jurisdiction. To counter this, it invokes Panama Supreme Court precedent distinguishing between civil fraud and criminal intent:

"La sala ha dicho que 'definitivamente hay diferencias entre dolo civil y el dolo penal.' Para ilustrar, cita al jurista Gonzalo Fernández De León, quien en su obra 'Diccionario Jurídico' define dolo civil como 'la aserción de los que es falso o la simulación de lo verdadero empleando astucia, artificio o maquinación para conseguirlo,' y el dolo penal como 'la intención de ejecutar un hecho que es delictuoso.'" (Page 3)

The motion maintains that Lisa's claim is punitive in nature, not merely compensatory, and that the body of evidence in the case file links Bosch to the commission of criminal acts that transcend any civil dispute.

Relief Sought

• That the Prosecutor's Office formally indict Juan Luis Bosch Gutierrez pursuant to Article 280 of the Criminal Procedure Code, formally linking him to the criminal proceeding.

Legal Basis

• Articles 273, 276, 277, and 280 of the Criminal Procedure Code — investigation activities, evidentiary requirements, and formulation of indictment.
• Decree 52 of April 2008 — supplementary criminal procedure regulations.
• Articles 29 and 32 of the National Constitution — due process guarantees and access to justice.

Signatories

• Carlos De Icaza Muñoz, Attorney for Lisa, S.A.