Martinelli health card back in play

HOURS after prosecuting magistrate Harry Diaz finished reading the wiretapping indictment against Ricardo Martinelli and called for a 21-year jail sentence the ex-president was again transferred to Hospital Santo Tomas (HST), reportedly with high blood pressure. He spent the night of July 9  away from his cell in El Renacer prison.

The medical director of HST, Ángel Cedeño, confirmed on Wednesday morning, that Martinelli was in the hospital, although already “stabilized” and that in the next few hours he could be medically discharged

The continuation of his hearing was to have begun at 9:30 a.m.

Sidney Sitton, one of  Martinelli’s lawyers, said  that the magistrate judge of guarantees Jerónimo

Mejía was warned that doctors had earlier indicated that the hearings should not be prolonged. He  said that on Monday, at 9:00 p.m., his client began to feel bad, after more than 12 hours in the Supreme Court [including lunch adjornment]  and said that, “medical orders are being disregarded.”

He made no mention of the book being read by Martinelli during the hearing.

Martinelli’s health was previously evaluated by a team of specialists from the Forensic Science Institute after he had refused to take his blood pressure medication and was taken to Santo Tomas. He was declared stable.

Last week he went to a private hospital for a mobile ecg but was pronounced fit to return to jail.