Martinelli dodges justice bullet with psychiatric certificate

As the hounds of justice begin to encircle former president Ricardo Martinelli continues playing “disability” cards, the latest from political ally and psychiatric doctor Aligis Torres which would keep him away from anti-corruption prosecutors for at least another two months.

This is the third medical certificate presented by Martinelli who flaunts the tag “El Loco” (the crazy one) who has been summoned to respond in the investigations of the New Business and Odebrecht cases. reports La Prensa

According to the doctor Torres, the former President has a psychiatric condition that makes it impossible for him to do his usual tasks, although his diagnosis has not come out.

Martinelli presented last week the certificate of medical incapacity that would prevent him from being summoned or attending calls made by the Public Ministry. A control hearing requested by his lawyers was scheduled for Monday, July 13 in the case of the Savings Bank.

Martinelli had previously presented two medical certificates, from the cardiologist Gabriel Frago. The first was presented on July 2, when he was going to be questioned about the “New Business” case of the purchase of Editora Panamá América (Epasa), , and then when he had to answer for the Odebrecht case, on July 3. The disability certificate was later extended until last July 10.

The current 60- days certification of Martinelli’s incapacity, whose diagnosis is unknown, was issued by politician and psychiatrist Algis Torres – from the Hospital Cristo Rey Clinic

In July 7, 2009, La Estrella de Panamá published a profile of Algis Torres, who was a candidate to be the director of the San Miguelito Health Medical Region. The newspaper described reported  Torres had worked in the La Modelo prison as  doctor of the Penitentiary Guard during the Noriega dictatorship.

According to the report, also issued health certificates in the days after the so-called “Black Friday” – July 10, 1987 – a  date remembered by tens of thousands of Panamanians who were harassed, beaten and/or detained, or who witnessed how anti-riot units of the Defense Forces perpetrating one of the worst acts of repression in the military dictatorship.

Many of the detainees were savagely repressed by riot police known as “Dobermans” of the Defense Forces. Inside the prison, some were physically and psychologically tortured, and others raped.

La Estrella wrote  that the medical reports bearing Torres’ signature indicated that none of the detainees had “physical or mental trauma”., The majority of those arrested that day “had symptoms of diseases such as gastric ulcers, glaucoma, gonorrhea, conjunctivitis, high blood pressure, asthma, urinary tract infections, low back pain, and allergic reactions.”

Despite his controversial profile, then president, Martinelli, had no qualms in naming Torres director of the Health Region of the San Miguelito district, and he remained in office until the end of Martinelli’s term (2014).

Torres was later an unsuccessful candidate for deputy for the Alianza party, founded by former deputy José Muñoz, from Cambio Democrático (CD), when Martinelli led the party.