sliver of land with 3m mostly poor inhabitants. But it is also one of the world's biggest offshore banking centres, with $40bn-plus held on account in over 150 foreign banks.

It's no exaggeration to call Panama the 'Switzerland of the Americas'. Its banking secrecy laws are second to none. No foreign government can access your financial information without a court order. Tax evasion is unnecessary because there is no income tax payable by foreigners, even on interest on bank accounts, if that money was earned overseas.

Anyone can become a Panamanian citizen within 30 days, with the right paperwork. And the paper that works best in this dollarised economy is the greenback.

Bribery is a way of life here. A traffic offence is dealt with by handing a folded $20 bill inside your passport to the cops. And if you don't bribe your immigration lawyer often

Anyone can become a Panamanian citizen within 30 days, with the right paperwork

enough, your papers will be mysteriously lost.

Okke Ornstein, a Dutch journalist living in Panama, agrees corruption is the reason crooks and villains flock here. "Immigration is dealt with through lawyers with the right contacts. Same with bank accounts. And the authorities just don't care about gringos ripping off gringos."

Even better for the potential fugitive, Panamanian authorities are notoriously hospitable. The Shah of Iran hid out on a nearby island in the 1980s, and Raul Cedras, a gruesome Haitian military dictator, is said to still be in the capital.

There is an extradition treaty with Britain. But as Anne Darwin doubtless learnt on one of her get-to-know-the-country trips before she moved, no British national has been handed over by the Panamanians since the treaty was signed 100 years ago.