Denuncia Penal · Criminal Complaint (Obstruction of Justice)
On June 23, 2025, the Anticorruption Prosecutor admitted Lisa, S.A.'s criminal complaint against former Judge Lesbia Wolfschon Puga through Resolution No. 55-2025, classifying the conduct as breach of public-service duties and ordering the commencement of a preliminary investigation.
Lisa, S.A. filed a criminal complaint with Panama's Anticorruption Prosecutor against Judge Lesbia Wolfschon Puga, former judge of the Eleventh Circuit Civil Court, for abuse of authority and breach of public-service duties. The complaint alleges that the judge deliberately paralyzed the $51.6 million enforcement proceeding brought by Lisa, S.A. against Villamorey, S.A. for over two years, refusing to process asset seizure requests despite the defendant's appeal having been granted in devolutive effect only. Through Resolution No. 55-2025, dated June 23, 2025, the Anticorruption Prosecutor admitted the complaint and opened a preliminary criminal investigation.
Lisa, S.A. filed a criminal complaint against Lesbia Wolfschon Puga, former judge of the Eleventh Circuit Civil Court, for abuse of authority (Article 355 of the Criminal Code) and breach of public-service duties (Article 356 of the Criminal Code). The complaint was submitted to the Primary Attention Section of the Anticorruption Prosecutor of the Accusatory Criminal System, through attorney Carlos De Icaza Muñoz.
The complaint is grounded in the judge's conduct during the enforcement proceeding brought by Lisa, S.A. against Villamorey, S.A. Through Order No. 2567 of December 22, 2021, the Eleventh Circuit Court admitted the executive claim and issued a payment order. Service on Villamorey, S.A.'s registered agent was completed on July 7, 2022, and on July 20, 2022, the defendant filed an appeal granted in devolutive effect. Despite devolutive effect not staying enforcement proceedings (Article 1138(2) of the Judicial Code), the judge kept the case paralyzed for over two years, refusing to order the seizure of the assets identified by the plaintiff.
Lisa, S.A. details three prior efforts to unblock the proceeding:
On typicality, the complaint argues that the paralysis constitutes an arbitrary act to the detriment of Lisa, S.A. (abuse of authority) and an unlawful omission of acts inherent to the office (breach of duties). The complaint underscores that the same judge presided over the declaratory proceeding that produced the judgment being enforced, revealing a sustained pattern of noncompliance.
The complaint represents Lisa, S.A.'s turn to criminal remedies after exhausting civil procedural mechanisms to compel continuation of the enforcement proceeding.
Through Resolution No. 55-2025, the Anticorruption Prosecutor admitted the criminal complaint filed by Lisa, S.A. against Lesbia Wolfschon Puga. The resolution finds that the complaint meets the formal requirements of Article 88 of the Criminal Procedure Code and orders the commencement of the corresponding investigation.
The Prosecutor's Office classified the reported conduct as crimes against the Public Administration in the form of breach of public-service duties, pursuant to Article 356 and related provisions of the Criminal Code. This classification covers the conduct of refusing, omitting, or delaying acts inherent to a public official's duties in an illegal manner.
The Prosecutor's Office noted that the admission is based on compliance with procedural requirements, without implying that the reported crimes have been proven. The facts will be investigated to establish elements of conviction at the corresponding procedural stage.
"Esta admisión se cumple en virtud tener por acatados los extremos de los requisitos de procedimiento, sin que se tengan por probados la comisión de delitos puestos bajo nuestro conocimiento"
The formal admission of the complaint opens the path to a full criminal investigation against the former judge, shifting the dispute over the enforcement paralysis from the civil to the criminal arena.
| Date | Document | Issued by |
|---|---|---|
| Apr 15 2025 | Criminal Report | Lisa, S.A. |
| Jun 23 2025 | Resolution 55-2025 | Public Prosecutor |
The preliminary criminal investigation is underway. The Anticorruption Prosecutor must gather sufficient evidence to determine whether the former judge's conduct constituted a criminal offense under Article 356 of the Panamanian Criminal Code.