Panama’s ex-president heads to trial facing potential 21-year sentence

Jerónimo Mejía, the Judge of Guarantees in the initial hearing of wiretapping charges against former President Ricardo Martinelli on Monday set an oral trial date of  December 11 at 9:00 a.m. but said it will be the trial court that decides whether or not to stick to that date.

In  reading the call to trial the judge said  that Martinelli is “accused as the author of crimes against inviolability of secrecy and the right to privacy in the modality of interception of telecommunications without judicial authorization and monitoring, prosecution and surveillance without authorization, as well as the author of crimes against the public administration, in different forms of embezzlement “.

Mejia  said  that the “required penalties” are: for the crime of interception of telecommunications without judicial authorization a penalty of four years of prison; for the crime of pursuit, persecution and surveillance without judicial authorization, a penalty of four years in prison; for the crime of embezzlement for abduction or embezzlement the penalty of 10 years; and for the aggravating circumstance, three years in prison. Which makes a total of 21 years in prison for Mr. Ricardo Martinelli Berrocal,”