He was the Prime Minister's choice, but Moises Cal will not be Chairman of the Public Service Commission. 7News has confirmed with senior government sources that Cal quietly withdrew his name from consideration last week. This is after a storm of controversy erupted when news emerged that the Prime Minister had selected him to be the chairman and was consulting with the Leader of the Opposition about his choice. The public condemnation was robust - and it made Cal's continued candidacy untenable.
Cal, as we have reported, has a tainted past where he was accused of money laundering a million US dollars in Panama in 2007. He has never publicly addressed the allegations made by Panamanian law enforcement that he smuggled in the money, bribed customs officers there, and then absconded.
The opposition rejected the proposed appointment, as did the Public Service Union - whose members would appear before the Chairman.
Prime Minister Briceno will now have look for a new replacement for past chair, Charles Gibson whose term finished at the end of June.
The PSU has suggested the names of Marilyn Ordonez, David Gibson and Sandra Hall - all veterans of the public service - unlike Cal, who was not a career public officer.
