Court rejects Martinelli constitutional ploy

The Plenary of the Supreme Court of Justice (CSJ), in extraordinary session on  Wednesday, July 11, did not admit an amparo of constitutional guarantees presented by the defense of ex-President Ricardo Martinelli against a decision of Judge of Guarantees, Jerónimo Mejía

Mejía’s decision, in a June 25 audience established that the Supreme Court would maintain competence in the illegal wiretapping case l, despite the fact that Martinelli had resigned from the Central American Parliament (Parlacen).

For the legal team of the ex-president, the Supreme Court has no competence after the resignation from Parlacen so the case that must pass to another court.

The former president should face   A Supreme  Court hearing on Thursday, July 12, but. Ii is still unknown if it will be carried out as Martinelli was transferred to Santo Tomás Hospital on Monday evening to receive medical treatment for supposed high blood pressure and arrhythmia.  Judge Mejia has ordered a re-examination by a team from the Forensic Medical Center that earlier ruled him stable

In this judicial act, two actions would be heard  appeals against and June 25  and July 4 decisions by Mejía,

Judge Harry Diaz,  as  prosecutor, in his indictment  called for 21 years imprisonment for Martinelli for the presumed commission of the inviolability of secrecy and right to intimacy and different forms of embezzlement

The intermediate hearing to Martinelli was suspended on Tuesday until the judge gets the report of the Institute of Forensic Medicine and the treating physicians.