Supreme Court notifies ex-president decision

Panama’s Supreme Court of Justice (CSJ) released details on Wednesday of its recent decision to decline its competence in the process followed by former President Ricardo Martinelli for telephone “punctures”.

By decision of the magistrates, they will not analyze this case and decline jurisdiction to a Court of the Accusatory Penal System (SPA).

On December 7, 2018, CSJ granted an Amparo of guarantees to the ex-president

The decision was based on his resignation as deputy of the Central American Parliament (Parlacen), last June.

The former president was extradited to Panama on June 11 from the United States accused of spying on opponents during his government.

In the case, 21 years of imprisonment were requested for Martinelli detained in El Renacer prison.

In the same ruling, the magistrates endorsed everything that was done by the judge of guarantees Jerónimo Mejía during the intermediate phase of the process, with the exception of a decision of June 25, 2018 in which he denies a request for loss of jurisdiction.

Luis Eduardo Camacho, Martinelli’s lawyer, appealed to the Court to present an Amparo of guarantees before the magistrate’s decision to guarantee the competence of the case even though his client had resigned as a deputy.

The ruling was endorsed by magistrates Oydén Ortega (speaker), Luis Ramón Fábrega and Wilfredo Sáez and counted on the reasoned vote of Ángela Russo, Cecilio Cedalise, Asunción Alonso and Secundino Mendieta. While magistrates Abel Zamorano and Luis Mario Carrasco -supplement of Mejía- saved their vote.

Martinelli is being held at the El Renacer Penitentiary Center since June 11, the day he was extradited from the United States at the request of Panama to face justice for the alleged commission of the crimes of inviolability of secrecy.

Harry Diaz, who served as prosecutor of the case, requested 21 years in prison for Martinelli. four for interception of telecommunications without judicial authorization; four others for follow-up, persecution, and surveillance; 10 for embezzlement and embezzlement and three for aggravation.

According to the accusation, officials of the Security Council, for ‘orders given’ by Martinelli ‘made illegal interceptions of communications of a plural number of citizens’ between 2012 and 2014.