Police chief gets order for Martinelli arrest
PANAMA POLICE chief, Omar Pinzon, has received written instructions from Judge Jerominpo Mejia, for the provisional arrest of former President Ricardo Martinelli, in criminal proceedings for the interception of communications from the National Security Council in the past government.
In the letter dated Friday, March 11 and received by the police the same day, Mejia told Pinzon that Martinelli must be told that he is charge with the crimes of the alleged commission of the inviolability of secrecy and right to privacy, and embezzlement.
Pinzon was also told that the indictment filed by Judge Harry Diaz, prosecutor in the case, is based on the testimony of officials of the National Security Council, of “illegal” interception of communications of a “plural” number of citizens of the Republic of Panama, from 2012 until May 2014, by order of then president Martinelli.
This practice, according to Diaz explained and paraphrased Mejía- involved a “consistent and systematic” violation rights recognized in the Constitution and laws and violation of international human rights conventions signed by the Republic of Panama; Martinelli would have supplied the equipment, resources and personnel necessary “for the achievement of such illicit activity, using state funds.”
Mejia requires that at the time of arrest, Martinelli has the right to be presumed innocent, not to incriminate himself and to have the assistance of a lawyer of his choice. “And if unable to afford one, the state will provide free legal representation, with whom he can communicate freely and privately”.
Martinelli must be made aware of all these elements as soon as arrested, “and to be brought promptly before this office within a maximum period of 24 hours.”
Although Martinelli left Panama on January 28, 2015 and his defense has said he is in Miami, , Mejía informed Pinzon that it appears he domiciled in Altos del Golf, municipality of San Francisco.
On March 11, Mejia also addressed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to request that the arrest be processed for extradition of the former president.
The full Court ordered the arrest of Martinelli on December 21, 2015,and authorized the magistrate to take actions to that end.
On October 9, 2015, the prosecuting magistrate Diaz referred to the Directorate of Judicial Investigation (DIJ) a form of “blue alert” to located and stop Martinelli, who up to that date had never personally appeared at proceedings against him.
