Panama Parlacen bench rejects swearing-in Martinelli fugitive sons

The hopes of the fugitive brothers Ricardo and Luis Enrique Martinelli Linares of sheltering from US justice under the umbrella of the Central American Parliament (Parlacen) have likely evaporated after the board of directors of the regional body, based in Guatemala, was informed that the Panamanian bench will not swear them in as alternate deputies.

The sons of former president Ricardo Martinelli are detained in Guatemala at the request of the United States, for alleged money linked to Odebrecht. Their father is under investigation in Panama in the Odebrecht bribery scandal and a clutch of other corruption cases

“We will not do it because of the special characteristics of this case, because the interested parties are retained in the host country and because carrying out this act requires effective information on the status and specific condition of the alternate deputies. a task that we have asked us to surrender the headquarters, ” said Gilberto Sucari, vice president of Parlacen-Panama, in a note addressed to the board.

The PRD bench an independent deputy and three deputies of the CD Party, founded by the fugitives’ father had already refused to support their swearing-in.

Recently, the Parlacen board of directors issued instructions for the Panamanian bench to swear in the Martinelli Linares brothers as alternate deputies.

The instruction is contained in a note that the Guatemalan Carlos Rafael Fion Morales, secretary of the board of directors, sent last Tuesday, July 21, to Panamanian parliamentarians Gilberto Succari and Cirilo Salas. Succari and Salas are also vice president and secretary -respectively- of the Parlacen board of directors, representing the Panamanian bench.

Succari informs in the note of this Monday that, he summoned the Panamanian bench to inform it of the instruction issued by the Parlacen directive. “Even though the swearing-in, as an administrative act does not require any vote, it was in our interest to know the opinion of our deputies,” he said in the letter.

He added that “to give more security to this issue” they requested a meeting with Fion Morales, with the Panamanian bench, via Zoom, but it did not happen. “This discussion was essential for us.”

Since their arrest, Ricardo Alberto and Luis Enrique have alleged violations of their alleged parliamentary immunity and on Monday were attempting a last gasp appeal to  a Justice of the Peace to confirm it and order their “immediate release”