Panama Raises Pressure on CK Hutchison With Port Accusations (1)

Panama’s top auditor accused port operator CK Hutchison Holdings Ltd.of wrongdoing, providing a potential pathway for the Central American country to wrest control of canal facilities caught up in a diplomatic tug-of-war between the US and China.

Panama Ports Co., part of Hong Kong-based Hutchison’s far-flung operations, failed to obtain required approvals for a contract extension in 2021, and owed millions in dues, Comptroller General Anel Flores told reporters Monday following an audit.

Flores plans to file a criminal complaint with Panama’s attorney general’s office on Tuesday against the maritime authorities who granted the 2021 contract renewal and ...