Supreme Court sidesteps Martinelli discussion

The plenary of Panama’s Supreme Court in ordinary session on  Thursday, November 29 sidestepped making a final decision of the protection of guarantees that decides its competence to try former President Ricardo Martinelli, for illegal interception of communications.

Judicial sources told TVN that in the meeting the rapporteur, Oydén Ortega, presented another draft of his ruling, that differed from the one that raised a storm when it appeared on which was announced on social media.

The new draft includes modifications and also took into account the comments made to Ortega by fellow judges Cecilio Cedalise, Luis Mario Carrasco and Abel Zamorano. His original draft has been criticized by Jeronimo Mejia, the Judge of Guarantees in the case which he sent for trial earlier in the week.