Judge rules jailed Martinelli in absentia

EX-PRESIDENT Ricardo Martinelli who marked his fourth month behind bars awaiting extradition on Thursday, Oct 12,  is now facing another extraditable process after being declared  “in absentia”  at a Friday  Supreme Court hearing into the case of scores of pardons, including criminal offenses signed by  Martinelli on the eve of his departure from office.

Judge of Guarantees, José Ayú Prado, acceded to the request of the prosecutor Judge  Abel Zamorano for the declaration.

Martinelli is accused of the crime against the public administration in the form of abuse of authority. Some of the pardons  he signed for criminal offenses  have been declared unconstitutional

Although it is a public fact that Martinelli is provisionally detained in the Federal Prison of Miami which prevents him from being brought to court the judge gave t made the ruling as it was the second non-appearance.

The first was in May, when Martinelli was still free, although outside the country and did not attend the scheduled hearing on that occasion.

At the hearing, it was established that the former president was notified in three ways. One personally through a note that he received in prison. This note is covered under the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty signed between Panama and the United States.

The second way in which Martinelli learned of the hearing was through a certified correspondence sent through the Panamanian mail system. And a third occurred through a private courier service that took the document to the Miami prison, and according to the prosecutor Zamorano, was received  by the accused.

The hearing was carried out at the request of the prosecutor Zamorano in order to declare Martinelli in absentia.