Judge sitting on Martinelli file
A SUPREME COURT judge who has been sitting for 19 days on the file accusing ex-president Ricardo Martinelli of wiretapping offences, is raising growing mistrust among civil groups and judicial observers as the clock is running out and the case could be blocked.
Judge, Jeronimo Mejia has not notified the defense of the former president of the indictment made by Judge Harry Diaz on 9 for allegedly committing crimes against the inviolability of secrecy and right to privacy, and for embezzlement.
Judicial sources told La Prensa that article 344 of the Criminal Procedure Code gives not less than 10 days nor more than 20 ,for the investigating judge to inform the defendant’s defense.
“Meaning, if Mejia did not communicate the prosecution to the defense of Martinelli, the process is deadlocked”, said the source.
Ex- Supreme Court (CSJ) judge Esmeralda Arosemena de Troitiño said that any delay in the judicial system leads the public to think that things are not working.
The slowness of Mejia, who serves as judge of guarantees in the process against Martinelli for wiretapping, increases the “mistrust” in the handling of this case, sectors of civil society and experts linked to the judicial system warned days ago.
Annette Planells of the Independent Movement (Movin), recalled that in the last meeting that Movin held with the judges of the CSJ, the concern about the speed in the investigations of deputies of the National Assembly and the Central American Parliament was raised.
Juan Carlos Arauz, vice president of the National Bar Association, said the delay in the process “does not help rid the court of social questioning”.
He stressed that the judiciary must transmit swiftness to evacuate all the allegations against the ex-president. “This is known as an effective remedy; to dissipate doubts of the impartial functioning of the Court”, he said.
Former PRD presidential candidate Balbina Herrera, who is a plaintiff in the case and a wiretapping victim, warned that the process is in a “very delicate” stage, so the guarantee judge must decide as soon as possible if he accepts or denies the Prosecutor Judge indictment against Martinelli.
She warned that, on one hand, the defense of Martinelli stands delaying tactics and, on the other, the guarantee judge, who must make a decision, is not taking it and this leaves the victims hanging.