Wiretap hearing getsfourth delay

THE  HEARING of charges of illegal wiretapping against former officials of Ricardo Martinelli  administration (2009-2014)  hahaseen postponed for the fourth time and isnow set  for  January 15 to 26, 2018 reports the Efe news agency.

The Sixteenth Circuit Court was scheduled to begin the hearing on Monday, September 11 but decided to reschedule it, this time at the request of the defense of Alejandro Garuz, who was secretary of the National Security Council under  ex-president RicardoMartinelli and is hospitalized, sources said.

Along with Garuz, another former Secretary of the Security Council, Gustavo Pérez, and his subordinates, Ronny Ramiro Rodríguez and William Pitti, are also The whereabouts of  Rodríguez and Pitti are  unknown. Perez is serving a five-year jail term related to illegal weapons found in his home.

All are accused of crimes against the inviolability of security  and the right to privacy for allegedly intercepting communications illegally of  over 150 people, including political opponents of Martinelli,  journalists, businessmen and  even his wife and mistress..

Den of thieves
Panama’s Supreme Court of is investigating Martinelli, who has been detained  in Miami Florida since June 12 during an extradition process.

He is investigated separately  because, he is a deputy of the Central American Parliament (Parlacen), which during his election campaign he called a “den of thieves”

According to the prosecution the Martinelli Government acquired the listening equipment in Israel from the company M.L.M. Protection Ltd. for $ 13.5 million.

The equipment , according to research, was purchased through the  former National Assistance Program (PAN), a government entity created to urgently meet the needs of the poorest Panamaanians and whose former directors, and Martinelli  are involved in multiple corruption cases.