Top judge accused of Martinelli wiretap involvement

THE FOCUS of the storm engulfing Panama’s judicial system keeps moving, and  Supreme Court President  José Ayú Prado has moved back the center as he  faces a new complaint in the National Assembly related to the Martinelli era wiretapping scandal.

H e is accused, along with former  Tourism directors Salomón Shamah, of devising a formula to prevent the prosecution related to the illegal surveillance carried out during the government of Ricardo Martinelli (2009-2014).

According to the complaint, Ayú Prado suggested manipulating the requests made by the drug and organized crime prosecutor to include phone numbers of people that the president wanted monitored, thus camouflaging the illegal activity.

The complaint, filed by lawyer Rolando Sánchez Núñez, is based on the testimony given on Sept. 16 by former Martinelli lawyer Rosendo Rivera.

Rivera said that Shamah revealed the plan to him. He said that he does not recall if Ayú Prado was a justice at that time or the attorney general, the job he held before Martinelli appointed him to the court.

Sánchez Núñez argued that Ayú Prado, in his role as a former attorney general, violated the requirements of his position and international provisions endorsed by Panama that protects the right to privacy of individuals.

On Wednesday, January 17,, the Credentials Committee decided not to investigate statements made by Justice Harry Díaz about the possible interference in the court by Martinelli when he was president.

According to Committee Chairman Jorge Iván Arrocha, the request for an investigation submitted by Ayú Prado could not be considered an official complaint.

Ayú Prado had asked that Díaz be summoned to present proof of his allegations.