Arthur Porter friend of Philippe Couillard in jail in Panama La Joya

Arthur Porter inmate in Panama Jail

Inmate at ‘deplorable’ Panama prison describes life with his new ‘MVP’ cellmate,

Arthur Porter

Brian Hutchinson | June 1, 2013 3:22 AM ET
More from Brian Hutchinson | @hutchwriter

Catherine Solyom / Postmedia News

Arthur Porter being detained by authorities in Panama City.Inmate at ‘deplorable’ Panama prison describes life with his new ‘MVP’ cellmate, Arthur Porter

Accused of multiple crimes at home including fraud and money laundering, the former chairman of Canada’s spy review committee is now languishing inside one of Central America’s biggest and most violent prisons, where he’s attracting notice from other inmates.

“The Wiseguy, what I will call our new fella,” an inmate tweeted 

[WARNING: He has posted gruesome prison images] from Panama’s La Joya penitentiary on Friday, hours after Arthur Porter, 56, was transferred to the notorious facility. Dr. Porter spent most of the week in somewhat more refined custody with Panamanian police. He was apprehended in Panama Sunday on international arrest warrants with his 53-year-old wife Pamela, who was placed in a jail for women.

“Our pavilion has had all sorts; Crooked crooks, Traficantes, Mulas, Big Bosses, Kingpins, Dr. Death (harvested organs & sold on black market),” the inmate added, referring to his prison unit, reserved for foreigners. “They place Porter 1 degree of separation from a pair of notorious 1980s figures: the Lockerbie bomber & Ex Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega.”

Our pavilion has had all sorts; Crooked crooks, Traficantes, Mulas, Big Bosses, Kingpins, Dr. Death

He went on to describe Dr. Porter’s rudimentary new accommodations. “We’ve finally gotten him a bed. But he has to manage sleeping on the floor as the pavilion is overcrowded. Doubt if he can fit into hammocks.” The inmate was reached via email Friday night. He asked that his name not be published.

The Porters were stopped by police at Tocumen International Airport near Panama City, after travelling from Nassau, Bahamas, where they have maintained a residence for years, and where Dr. Porter exiled himself after his troubles emerged in Montreal.

“Arthur is here, spoken with him, apparently, seems his wife was arrested with him, if she was detained, she will be in the female prison,” the inmate told the National Post, a few hours after Dr. Porter arrived at La Joya. He was processed and put in the foreigners unit, which the inmate describes as filthy, over-crowded and dangerous. “But Arthur is here and we are looking out for a bedspace for him, as he seems to have health complications; uses breathing aid.”

THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP - Jeff ToddDr. Arthur Porter speaks with a reporter at his home in Nassau, Bahamas on March 2.

The inmate indicates that he’s been inside La Joya prison for four years. He has access to the Internet and to wireless communications. He has blogged and tweeted about brutal conditions inside La Joya, describing incidents of violence and prisoner neglect.

“We have quite a handful of appliances here; corruptions!” he wrote in an email. He then resumed tweeting about his new “MVP” cellmate.

Dr. Porter was appointed chairman of the Security and Intelligence Review Committee by Prime Minister Stephen Harper in 2010, but resigned a year later after a National Post investigation revealed several of his curious business affairs. A few weeks later he resigned as director general of the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) one of Canada’s largest public health care providers.Ryan Remiorz / The Canadian PressPrime Minister Stephen Harper, right, chats with Dr. Arthur Porter, left, at the Montreal General hospital in Montreal in 2006.

He left Canada in early 2012 and was living in a seaside retreat with his family in Nassau, where he also operated a private cancer clinic. Dr. Porter is an oncologist by trade.

In February, Quebec police accused Dr. Porter of participating in an alleged $22.5-million kickback scheme relating to the construction of the MUHC’s new $1.3-billion hospital on Montreal’s west side. Police claim the alleged scheme also involved former executives from SNC-Lavalin Group Inc., the Montreal-based engineering giant that was part of a consortium awarded the hospital project three years ago. Dr. Porter chaired the committee that awarded the contract to the SNC-Lavalin group.

Mrs. Porter is accused of conspiracy and laundering the proceeds of crime. She and her husband are presumed innocent of all charges unless proven guilty.

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The tweeting inmate made note of Dr. Porter’s unlikely predicament inside La Joya prison. “We’ve had notorious/violent Canadians, but this one seems to be on the other side of the fence; a white-collar crook! but innocent till…[proven guilty], he tweeted Friday evening.

He blogged that conditions are very difficult for newcomers, who must prove themselves. “Others; the nobodies, they gotta start from the scratch… Sleep on floor, share a toilet with about 50 or more inmates, fend for themselves.”

He seems to know well of what he tweets and blogs.

THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Panama PoliceArthur Porter is taken is into custody in a photo from the Panama Police twitter feed. Porter, the former head of Canada's spy-agency watchdog, who received prestigious appointments from different levels of government, has been arrested abroad on fraud charges.

In a recent posting on his prison blog, the La Joya inmate wrote that “the moment an inmate is hauled in through those iron gates, among the catcalls and chaotic noises one hears; will be words, expressions of threat and abuse, along with laughters as the rookie inmate is ridiculed and welcome to his new world. But in reality, he will live to face those words and his reactions will determined his survival; cowered or defiance!”

“Business and Deals are our life-saving means inside here,” he wrote in another blog post about life inside La Joya. “At the apex is corruption; if it wasn’t for it, nothing would have crossed through all the security points into our pavilion. But then, we have to live with the fact, that, as the good and needed things are brought it. Other undesirables are also smuggled in; knives, guns, grenades, poisons and whatever could be used to harm others or protect one’s life.”

There are approximately 4,000 inmates at La Joya, some of whom are violent criminals and drug traffickers. Conditions are “deplorable,” especially in the foreigners’ unit, he told the Post in another email. He mentions drug and alcohol use, sex and disease inside the prison. “Panama authorities barely take care of us,” he told the National Post, adding that countries such as the Netherlands have failed to honour prisoner repatriation agreements signed with Panama.

Allen Mcinnis/Postmedia News filesDr. Arthur Porter in 2008 when he was CEO of the McGill University Health Centre.

He also tweeted a concern that Dr. Porter appears to be unwell. “Seeing him with all his medical peripherals; seems this fella is pretty sick, and Panama don’t give a fcuk on prisoners well-being!”

Dr. Porter told reporters in January that he had developed lung cancer. After Quebec police laid charges against him a month later, he said the cancer had spread to his liver and had progressed to Stage Four, which is usually fatal.

He said he was too ill to travel to Canada and face his accusers.

It’s not clear why he and his wife flew from Nassau to Panama, arriving Sunday. According to local police, Dr. Porter claimed diplomatic immunity when apprehended. In 2011, he told the National Post he is an “ambassador plenipotentiary” for his native Sierra Leone, and a “special advisor” to that country’s president.

Dr. Porter has hired a local lawyer — who was once associated with Noriega, the former Panamanian president — to help him avoid extradition to Canada.

http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/06/01/arthur-porter-called-mvp-by-fellow-inmate-at-panamas-la-joya-prison/