Martinelli clock ticking as court rejects habeus corpus.

THE ATTEMPTS of the many tiered legal team of former president Ricardo Martinelli to block his trial  for allegedly  ordering the illegal wiretapping of 150 political opponents, judges, businessmen and journalists,  got another setback on Wednesday December 16.

The  plenum of the Supreme Court rejected a habeas corpus petition submitted by lawyer Sidney Sitton on behalf of Martinelli to prevent his arrest.

The decision was made during a special session that began at about 8:30 a.m.

Martinelli was declared to be absent from a hearing Friday, December 1.

That led to  a number of petitions being submitted to the court demanding his  arrest  including one by Prosecutor Harry Diaz who has refused to  be cowed by allegations  of corruption made by Martinelli.

The full Supreme Court approved  to hold a hearing on December 21  to resolve the request for the arrest  of the former president . The new public hearing is scheduled to take place at 3:00 pm in the hall of the Second Court, the Court.