Panama comptroller escalates probe into CK Hutchison canal ports concession

Panama's comptroller general announced it will send prosecutors additional audit material on former executives of CK Hutchison's local subsidiary, escalating a criminal investigation into the annulled Panama Canal ports concession. The probe targets Panama Ports Company, operator of the Balboa and Cristobal terminals, following the government's annulment of the concession. This marks a further step in Panama's state-led reassertion of control over canal infrastructure, with implications for foreign investment and US-China strategic competition in the region.