44 wiretap victims give statements, 7 file charges against Martinelli

PANAMA’S PUBLIC MINISTRY confirmed on Tuesday, February 4, that to date, a total of 44 people have given statements related to the Martinelli administration wiretaps. Seven of them so far have filed criminal complaints against former president Ricardo Martinelli and others will appear as witnesses.

 Martinelli is also facing at least one criminal investigation linked to embezzlement schemes in government institutions.
The public Ministry reported that the group of 44 is composed of both victims and witnessesof illegal wiretaps as witnesses of these.
The offense under investigation by prosecutors is the inviolability of secrecy and privacy.
The Penal Code Article 167 states: “Whoever, without the authorization of the judicial authority to intercept telecommunications or uses technical devices for listening, transmitting, recording or reproducing conversations not addressed to the public shall be punished by two to four years imprisonment.”
“Previously, the Deputy Attorney General of the Republic referred to the Supreme Court of Justice (CSJ) Five complaints filed by the following persons: Mitchell Doens, Balbina Herrera, Bernabe Perez, Miguel Antonio Bernal and Jose Luis Varela against former President Ricardo Martinelli, with in order to become plaintiffs. also, were presented to this institution Public Ministry sources say that about 150 people were victims of phone hacking: politicians, businessmen, government officials, presidents of the Republic, journalists and opponents of the government of Ricardo Martinelli (2009-2014). Among the people who make this list are Jose Blandon, José Luis Varela, Francisco Sanchez Cardenas, Zulay Rodríguez, the former president Ernesto Perez Balladares, businessman Stanley Motta and the head of the Electoral Tribunal, Erasmo Pinilla. the complaints of Rosendo Miranda and Juan Carlos Navarro, were also added to the list as plaintiffs, the statement said.
Not only Panamanians, but also Americans, were tapped according declarations to by former Foreign Minister Samuel Lewis and presidential candidate J Carlos NavarNavarro, who were also victims of wiretapping.
So far the authorities have arrested two people: Gustavo Perez and Alejandro Garuz, both ex secretaries of the National Security Council, who are being held in La Gran Joya prison. Two former officials of the agency Ronny Rodriguez Mendoza and William Pittí Navarro are fugitives. Martinelli is out of the country, whereabouts unknown.