Martinelli setback in embezzlement case

Panama’s Supreme Court unanimously rejected  an appeal of constitutional guarantees presented by lawyers for former president Ricardo Martinelli, in the investigation of multi-million dollar embezzlement in the purchase of dehydrated food in the National Assistance Program (PAN)

Martinelli’s lawyers filed the guarantee protection on June 7, 2016, requesting the annulment of an order of the prosecuting magistrate of the case, Oydén Ortega, who requested information from a bank account of Javier Pariente,  a businessman linked to the ex-ruler.

The information request of the Pariente account was made by the public prosecutor Ortega on June 26, 2015.

The Court decided not to admit the appeal because it was untimely. The April 4  of this year ruling It indicates that the protection of guarantees was not filed within the period of 3 months established by law. Judge Efrén Tello was the rapporteur.

The imputation hearing has not yet been held.

Martinelli has been imprisoned in El Renacer jail for the wiretapping case after being extradited from the United States to Panama, on June 11.

The indictment hearing on the telephone intervention case resumes on  September 14.