US Prosecutor rebutts Martinelli political persecution claim

US  PROSECUTOR  Benjamin G. Greenberg has rebutted  a letter filed by defense lawyers of ex-president Ricardo Martinelli’s defense that charges for illegal wiretapping are political in nature and fall into the category of espionage and are not subject to the extradition treaty Between Panama and the United States.

Citing numerous legal precedents, Greenberg distinguishes between “pure” political crimes, such as treason, sedition and espionage, which affect the state, and “relative” crimes, which also affect private interests.

In his view, the illegal interceptions of private communications investigated by the Supreme Court of Panama and those believed to have been victimized by hundreds of people, including opponents of the Martinelli Government (2009-2014), fall into the second category.

The accusations have to do with laws protecting the right to privacy and unauthorized surveillance against people, “are not crimes directed against the State,” he says.

Greenberg mentions that if one takes into account article VI of the Treaty of Bilateral Extradition of 1904, Martinelli can be extradited by the crimes that are included in the petition Panamanian.

The defense filed in filed five letters from people who support Martinell  including Miami  university professor, Bruce Michael Bagley, who urges the US authorities to grant political asylum to Martinelli.

Bagley, an “expert on Latin American politics” writes  that Martinelli made Panama one of the most effective US partners. in Central America.

He says that since the end of his term he has been subjected “systematically to political persecution” by his “opponents / enemies, who now rule Panama.”

Another letter signed by Leonor Linero of the Family Builders Foundation in the USA, says that Martinelli has been an “extraordinary volunteer” of that entity and has dedicated “many hours” each week to “help the most vulnerable in the community”.

Albero Osorio who calls himself  “a man of family and principles” who has known Martinelli for several years  says he is “a man of high integrity.”

In the same terms, Colombian Adriana Gallego and Alfred Santamaria, a community leader from Miami-Dade County, made reference to the application for political asylum and emphasized “leadership and compassion”.

Martinelli was arrested on June 12 in Coral Gables, Miami where he has his  $8 million residence because of an extradition request to respond to Panamanian Justice on charges of illegal espionage and embezzlement.  So far, two hearings have been held, the last one on Tuesday, in which the defense has insisted that both the arrest warrant and the extradition request are invalid and that the allegations are of a political nature.