Persecution and health challenges

WHILE FORMER  Labor Minister and interim CD leader Alma Cortés, mouthed “political persecution” the party mantra for  anyone  charged with corruption for acts committed  during the Martinelli  administration, her defense  hauled another familiar tactic out  of the legal  bag of tricks.

Criminal lawyer  Carlos Carrillo asked for a medical evaluation for   the woman accused of illegal enrichment totaling $2.5 million.

During 12 hours of questioning by anti-corruption prosecutor Aurelio Vasquez, she said she had no health problems. They surfaced when the anti-corruption prosecutor announced  that she would be remanded to a police cell on Thursday  August 11  with questioning to continue the next day.

But, instead of an appointment at the prosecutor’s office she was whisked away the Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences for a two-hour medical checkup which produced good news and bad news.  In reportedly good health, she arrived in handcuffs, “with a downcast face” according to media reports, and was sent back to her cell, until August 17.

Meanwhile a Criminal Circuit Court rejected a bail request.

The decision of the judicial authority was based on an audit revealing that the ex-Minister could not justify $ 2.5 million in assets acquired in the period 2009-2014.

While Cortés, a legal advisor to ex-president  Ricardo Martinelli, has time to ponder her past and future, La Prensa reports that two other people  who, according to the Comptroller’s audit, could have helped Cortes acquire the $2.5 million will be facing  the Anticorruption Prosecutor. Both are accused of unjustified enrichment. Hopefully they are in good health and will not attract the CD noise circus that attempted to disrupt the first Cortes arraignment.