Supreme Court Martinelli ruling sparks citizen outrage

The decision of the plenary of the  Supreme Court of Justice (CSJ) to decline its competence in the wiretapping case against former President  Ricardo Martinelli is seen as a gateway to impunity and creates uncertainty in a population already deeply suspicious of Panama’s judicial system.

The views come from representatives of civil society and political sectors reacting to the historic decision made by the plenary of the CSJ on December 7 and are mirrored in thousands of social media postings.

This decision seeks “impunity,” said Magaly Castillo, executive director of the Citizens Alliance for Justice who considered that what is being experienced in the administration of justice is the result of more than 25 years lost in terms of institutional reforms resulting in ‘a vicious circle of corruption and impunity. If we continue as spectators, I do not know where we are going to arrive, “she said.

“One day before Mother’s Day, when all of Panama is in celebration mode everything is coldly calculated, and Martinelli has mocked all of Panama, “Castillo said.

Juan Diego Vásquez, of the Youth Network for Transparency, described the decision of the Court, as “sad” and “worrying” because, in his opinion, it confirms there is legal insecurity in the country.

What worries most is how judges and magistrates change their positions with such ease. The only victim here is the administration of justice, prey to politics, money, and corruption. “

The CSJ declined the jurisdiction of the case when resolving a third guarantee protection filed by Martinelli’s defense, in order to revoke the decision of the judge of guarantees, Jerónimo Mejía, to maintain the jurisdiction.

Two previous protections, which also attacked Mejía’s decision, were rejected by the plenary session.

Annette Planells, of the Independent Movement,(Mobin) said she feels “frustrated.”

“All our fears about the magistrates of the Court were confirmed. Not only did they fail against their constitutional responsibility to impart justice, but they also did it in an incoherent manner, which can be interpreted as corruption and cowardice, “she said.

The candidate for mayor of the capital by deputy, Adolfo Valderrama, said through a statement that the Court’s ruling was a sad day for justice, freedom, and privacy.

He recalled that he was a victim of the espionage of former President Martinelli. “We rely on him to use the technology purchased with our taxes to protect us from drug dealers and criminals. Instead, he used it to violate our rights and invade the privacy of our homes, intercepting messages and calls between my wife and me … “, said Valderrama.

In that sense, he asked citizens not to believe in Martinelli, who seeks to become the mayor of Panama City, because he wants “the control of hundreds of security cameras …, we cannot trust Martinelli again “

Sidney Sitton, the defense lawyer  of the former president, said he is “very excited and pleased” with the Court’s ruling, “because justice has been done, although partial.”

Martinelli’s defense had requested in his protection that everything decided by the judge of guarantees be annulled in the intermediate stage of the process. However, the ruling of the Court endorsed all decisions of Judge Mejía.