Call for Martinelli trial in $49 million dried food scam
JUDGE Oyden Ortega serving as prosecutor has requested a hearing for former president Ricardo Martinelli to face charges of commission of crimes against public administration, involving dehydrated food purchases funded by the National Assistance Program (PAN).
Martinelli’s defense team , , was notified Tuesday, May 31, by the General Secretariat of the Supreme Court (CSJ). Martinelli has been outside the country since January 28, 2015
Judge Jerome Mejia will decide the date and time of the hearing.
Martinelli was investigated for irregularities in the purchase $44.9 million of dehydrated food from Lerkshore International Ltd., through the PAN, in the previous administration
Giacomo Tamburrelli, former director of the PAN program, declared in January 2015 before the Second Anti-Corruption Prosecutor that Martinelli ordered him how to prepare and award the contract to Lerkshore International.