President deplores email hacking

President Ricardo Martinelli, on Sunday, July 10, deplored the hacking of the email account of Minister of the Presidency, Jimmy Papadimitriu.

A press release from the State Ministry of Communication of said that "the violation of the privacy of any citizen affects democratic rights,  trust and security and all Panamanian’s  should enjoy private correspondence that is not disturbed or intercepted by a third."

Illegally obtaining  of private correspondence "is not only a crime but is also a violation of the sacred rights of citizenship, and  is among the  human rights pillars ofr democratic and peaceful coexistence of a civilized society. "

He concluded:  "What the public prosecutor is currently investigating is a felony, a breach of the email to the Minister of the Presidency and  is not only a privacy violation, but an attack on state security."

Earlier this year opposition groups alleged that their cell phone conversations had been intercepted and a Wikileaks report revealed that the former U.S. ambassador, Barbara Stephenson  in a report to Washington, claimed that President Martinelli has Asked for DEA help in tapping in to messages of opposition politicians.