Martinelli pardons ruled unconstitutional

SEVEN of the criminal sentence pardons awarded by former President Ricardo Martinelli,  in a flurry of decrees on the last day of his government, have been declared unconstitutional by Panama’s full Supreme Court.

By executive decrees 301, 303, 304, 305, 306, 307 and 308, Martinelli as President of the Republic granted penalty reductions to

José Murillo, Argelis Torres, Edgar Caballero, Ricaurte Herrera, Oscar Ortega, Ubaldo Díaz and Jonathan Trejos.

The decrees were issued and published in the Official Gazette on June 30, 2014.

Martinelli fled the country the next day.

In a ruling of August 29, the lowering of sentences was declared unconstitutional because the decrees did not indicate the crime committed, the sentence imposed, nor does it indicate whether the persons are detained fulfilling an enforced sentence.

“Therefore, it is noted that in the absence of these requirements the Constitution was violated, because, in the decrees, Martinelli eliminated the entire sentence imposed. When the constitution says only part may be pardoned.”

Cecilio Cedalise was the rapporteur magistrate reports TVN