Panama Supreme Court justice accuses Martinelli over illegal spying


News from Panama / Tuesday, October 13th, 2015

martinelli bars

A Panamanian Supreme Court justice investigating wiretapping allegations against former President Ricardo Martinelli has found sufficient evidence to link the ex-head of state to the purported eavesdropping on some 150 people during his administration, judiciary officials said.

Justice Harry Diaz presented a writ to the high court detailing his findings against Martinelli, who left Panama in late January and, according to his attorneys, is now in Miami.

Panama’s former attorney general, Rogelio Cruz, one of Martinelli’s attorneys, told EFE Friday that he had not been notified about the decision and only been informed that the investigation into this case had been concluded.

Local media partially published Diaz’s accusation, in which the justice wrote that he had found “sufficient evidential elements” to link the former president to the illegal eavesdropping.

Diaz’s writ recommends that Martinelli be sentenced to a total of 21 years in prison for illegal wiretapping, embezzlement and other crimes, local television network TVN said.

Panamanian attorney Ernesto Cedeño told EFE that Martinelli “must come to Panama, voluntarily or via Interpol,” referring to the government’s request Friday that the intergovernmental organization issue a blue notice, used to gather additional information about a person’s identity, location or activities in relation to a crime.

He added that under Panamanian law the ex-president cannot be charged in absentia.

Cedeño said that in his opinion there must be a hearing in which the supervisory judge, Supreme Court Justice Jeronimo Mejia, can decide whether or not to uphold the accusation presented by Diaz.

Martinelli, a multi-millionaire supermarket magnate who governed Panama from 2009 to 2014, also faces five other Supreme Court corruption probes.

As a deputy of the Central American Parliament, he can only be prosecuted by Panama’s high court. EFE