Officials search Panama offices tied to ports dispute, local media say

PANAMA CITY, Feb 26 (Reuters) – Panamanian officials have searched the offices tied to the the Panama Ports Company, the local unit of Hong Kong conglomerate CK Hutchison, local media reported on Thursday.

CK Hutchison and Panamanian authorities did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Local television station TVN showed images of about a dozen people, some wearing vests emblazoned with the initials of Panama’s investigative police, or DIJ, in an underground parking lot that the station said was in the high-end Albrook area of Panama City.

The images showed some of the people loading cardboard boxes into the back of a police truck.

The name of the location was not visible in the images, and Reuters could not independently verify the report.

A judicial official interviewed on a local television station confirmed a search had taken place, but did not name the business or what materials had been seized.

Panama’s top court recently declared unconstitutional CK Hutchison’s contracts to operate port terminals at the entrance to the Panama Canal, leading the government to annul the deals.

The decision sparked a battle embroiling both Beijing and Washington, after pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump for Panama to curb Chinese influence over the Panama Canal, which carries about 5% of global maritime trade.

CK Hutchison has said it sees the decision as unlawful and is considering legal action.