Backpack scandal suspect a flight risk
THE RESPITE granted to Poulett Morales when she was transferred from a detention cell to a private hospital on Thursday, August 13, will be short lived.The next day a judge denied her application for bail and she will remain in pretrial detention.
Morales is a Marbella fashion boutique owne,r who morphed into a supplier of school backpacks for the National Assistance Program (PAN) in the government of Ricardo Martinelli. She reportedly banked about $1.6 million from the deal.
The Fifteenth Penal judge Leslie Loaiza, denied the application for release requested by her advocates, the law firm Almengor Caballero & Assc.
Loaiza based based the decision on “highly reprehensible conduct attributed to the causing injury or patrimonial loss to the State and even against to public servants,” according to a press note released by the judiciary.
He added : “As argued in the first denial of bail”, there is a risk of flight or alteration of evidence by the syndicate, “to further compromisetheir criminal legal situation.”
Loaiza is the same judge who granted a bail of $2 million to Mario Martinelli, brother of Ricardo Martinelli. The bond, whose amount was appealed by the Defense was awarded to Mario Martinelli, who is also part of the investigation into contracts to supply grain to the PAN. The brother of the former leader is also tied to the purchase of school backpacks.
The judge considered that the health conditions of Morales, who was suffering from a fever and stomach pains are very different from Martinelli, [suffering from diabetes]” credited by a team of doctors from the Institute of Legal Medicine”.
