The former official will face eight years in prison for aggravated embezzlement, for damages to the institution she headed, which occurred in 2012, according to the news channel TVN and the newspaper La Estrella de Panamá.

The order became effective yesterday in the Accusatory Criminal System, after the conclusion of a hearing requested by the Prosecutor’s Office.

Portugal was dismissed by the National Assembly in August 2013, after being accused of alleged cost overruns and irregularities in the direct contracting of two companies for the redesign of the institution’s web page and an image change consultancy, according to other news sources such as Telemetro and the newspaper La Prensa.

According to investigations, in April 2011, Portugal, as People’s Defender, signed a contract with the company Imaginarium Studio, S.A., for an amount of 249 thousand 845 dollars for the redesign of the entity’s web page, and the other in July 2013, in favor of En Avant, S.A., for 199 thousand 983 dollars, for staff trainings.

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