Martinelli flip-flops on return to face music

JUST 24 HOURS  after the  lead lawyer for former Panama President Ricardo Martinelli announced that his client would be making no more appeals  against extradition and would return to Panama to face justice his former government PR  flack  said that Martinelli will ask for bail and will appeal Tuesday’s ruling by US Judge Marcia G. Cooke, confirming  his extradition.

The flip-flop announcement comes from  Luis Eduardo Camacho. in a statement made in Miami to Efe News Agency following a meeting with Martinelli in the Miami detention center where he has been held since June 12.

Camacho said on Wednesday that at this point in the process it would not make sense to ask for bail if there was no intention to continue fighting extradition.

“Those who expected that Martinelli was down, were wrong. Today I found him  with a lot of enthusiasm, evaluating scenarios and making decisions.” Camacho said.

Although  judge gave thumbs down to an appeal filed by Martinelli’s defense against the decision of Judge Edwin Torres, who in  August gave the green light to the extradition, Cooke indicated that she was willing to consider a new request for bail for the ex-ruler.

According to Camacho, Martinelli, who is required to respond in Panama to crimes related to

illegal wiretapping during his Presidency “will use the door opened” by Cooke.

The judge gave the defense until February 6   to decide whether or not to appeal her ruling.

Camacho said: “In life success or failure is not a matter of luck but of identifying opportunities and taking advantage of them, ” in a statement very different from the one made Tuesday by lawyer Sydney Sitton.

After the court hearing, Sitton told Efe in Miami that Martinelli had decided not to appeal anymore, and voluntarily return to Panama regardless of what Judge Cooke decided.

The same day Camacho replied that Martinelli had not made a decision, but he analyzed several “scenarios” with lawyers and collaborators.

Referring to Wednesday’s meeting in jail, said that  the former president’s  mood reflected his favorite saying:”Always be willing to fight one more round.”

Martinelli is wanted for embezzlement and illegal eavesdropping.

Currently in Panama is another case against Martinelli, this for the alleged irregular granting

of more than 300 pardons, which may lead to another request for extradition, although it has been appealed by his lawyers.