Former Attorney General cleared to take Assembly seat

PANAMA'S Supreme Court of Justice (CSJ)  decided on Friday, May 30. that former Attorney General, Ana Matilde Gomez, will be eligible to be sworn in as deputy, on July 1.

The hearing in the Gil Ponce Palace, was to meet a request for modification of the penalty imposed in 2010 to Gomez, which prevented her from taking office.

The judges who participated in the hearing unanimously downgraded the period of disqualification from public office four years to six months.
“Justice is straightened if only partially, and democracy is strengthened," Gomez said after the ruling was read. She did not considered it a personal victory.
I have hope that this unanimous decision of the Court is a way in which the system searches to be rehabilitated “ she said. I have hope that this behavior is itself a profound act of reflection for them to after three years and nine months have passed" she said.
"I 'm here today asking for independence, impartiality and compliance with strict adherence to the law, because there is no way around that exhausts my determination to keep fighting and demanding justice” she added.
The hearing began at 10:00 am, behind closed doors. The former prosecutor Eduardo Guevara, acting as defense counsel highlighted the good behavior of his client and said that was one of the candidates to the Assembly with the highest number of votes in the elections on May 4.
"Over 20,000 thousand votes will support the bid," he said. "We cannot allow a legal issue to be handled in a political way," he said
Guevara argued that the “accessory" sentence which are the four years of disqualification from public office, was higher than the main sentence: six months in jail or equivalent to 40 days or payment of a $4,000 fine. This inequality was contrary to the dictates of the Criminal Procedure Code.
The Court has yet to resolve another case involving Gómez. Attorney Alejandro Pérez , a staunch supporter of the of Ricardo Martinelli, administration presented last week a claim of unconstitutionality against the decision of the Electoral Tribunal ( TE) for allowing the candidacy of Gómez week, reports La Prensa.
Perez argues that the presiding TE Erasmo Pinilla, committed negligent conduct because he knew Gómez could not hold public office.
Many observers believe that the action to remove Gomez from office was a politically motivated decision of President Ricardo Martinelli. She was charged with wiretapping a judge who was under investigation for soliciting bribes in return for lenient sentences.