Martinelli Panama bail request pulled

A  bail request submitted to the Supreme Court for ex-president Ricardo Martinelli for when he returns to Panama has been withdrawn.

It had been submitted on February 1 by defense lawyer Dimas Guevara, and the hearing for bail in the “wiretaps case was scheduled for Wednesday, February 7.

The request was withdrawn on February 5.

Martinelli is accused of the alleged commission of the crime of Inviolability of Secrecy and the Right to Privacy, Embezzlement, Abuse of Authority and against  Computer Security and Illicit Association.

While still in office, Martinelli had described Italian judicial investigations into his links to the Finmeccanica bribery scandal as a “soap opera”. The maneuvering of his team of lawyers to avoid his extradition to Panama could be called an escape series.

Another quote that came back to haunt him was the  labeling    of the Central American Parliament (Parlacen) as a “Den of thieves.” After his term in office when he fled the country sought refuge in Parlacen, leaving his Panamanian gang of thieves to face the music.

With his recent ousting as president of the party he founded Democratic  Change (CD) he may also regret his boast of returning to Panama for a triumphal cross country parade to be greeted by cheering supporters. It’s hard to raise arms in cuffs.