Over 1,500 criminal investigations from Martinelli era

OVER   1,500  criminal investigations have been launched into events reported in the administration of Ricardo Martinelli, including the ex-president and his two sons, which his supporters   label “political persecution”

The long list which continues to swell must go through the scrutiny of criminal judges who sometimes take longer than expected by the public reports TVN News.

The Public Prosecutor’s Office (MP) has been at the center of public attention for the criminal investigations.

The lack of concrete results, in this long time, has been reflected in the segment of TVN News as “Here Nothing Happens” in which each Wednesday the status of the processes are revealed.

Sometimes the arrears are attributed to the long list of legal actions filed by the defense lawyers, in other cases the cases fail due to lack of evidence according to the judges who have to qualify the files.

Some cases are in limbo due to the frequent suspension of the preliminary hearings.

As citizens demand to know the results, the MP has published a report showing the total of criminal investigations that have been carried out into irregularities..

In five years the Public Ministry has initiated 1,656 criminal investigations for reported events between 2009 and 2014.

In the last four years, 1,194 people have been charged for high-profile cases, 372 precautionary measures and 143 preventive detentions have been applied.

In battles  before the courts, the accused have obtained 59 bail release  and two partial nullities