Martinelli stalling motions rejected by criminal judge

The  stalling tactics of the defense team of former President Ricardo Martinelli were slapped down by Twelfth Criminal Judge, Óscar Carrasquilla when he rejected three challenges presented by Martinelli, in an attempt to remove the anti-corruption prosecutor, Tania Sterling, from the investigation into the bribes that Odebrecht paid in Panama.

The judge also warned that the defense must “agree” on the legal actions it takes, “in such a way that they are not repetitive to the detriment of the administration of justice,” says a press release from the Judicial Branch on Wednesday, September 2.

Carrasquilla based his decision on the fact that the challenges were presented after the defense of Martinelli took steps in favor of the former president. Additionally, they did not specify which of the 17 causes established by article 760 of the Judicial Code, has been committed by the prosecutor Sterling.

In case of referring to point 11 of article 760, which indicates as a cause of impediment that any of the parties has a process or complaint against the judge or prosecutor, within the previous two years, Carrasquilla remarks that Sterling has been instructing the Odebrecht file from the beginning of 2017, “being its knowledge prior to the filing of the complaint.”

The three challenges were filed by Roniel Ortiz and Shirley Castañedas, from Martinelli’s legal team. They argue in their briefs that Sterling is impeded for various reasons, such as that she participated in the extradition process of the former president from the United States to Panama, which ended on June 11, 2018, or that she does not recognize the 60-day certificate of a medical disability, presented by Martinelli.

Sterling has been trying to investigate the former president since July 2.

The Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office has until the second week of October to conclude the investigation since on that date the five-month extension granted by the First Superior Court expires.