Ex-president's son hears reasons for US extradition request

Luis Martinelli Linares appeared on Monday, March 8, before a judge of the Fifth Criminal Sentencing Court of Guatemala, for a hearing where he was notified of the reasons for the extradition requested by the United States.

The diligence was scheduled for last Friday the 5th, but was rescheduled after various allegations presented by Dennis Cuesy the legal representative of Martinelli Linares. The lawyer César Calderón, who also defends the detained former president Otto Pérez Molina, joined the defense team

 The hearing began at least an hour and a half after the scheduled time, and almost immediately, the defense presented a request related to an annulment incident, before the judge. A recess was decreed for the pertinent review, but it was rejected.

The Public Ministry [of Guatemala] stated during the hearing that the crimes for which Martinelli Linares is being required are not political and that they meet all the requirements, among which they mentioned an extradition convention.

Calderón filed a partial annulment appeal against the hearings on Friday, March 5, and today [March 8] because according to him, it is illegal for there to be two judges present and one female judge virtually, because the law does not contemplate it.

On February 5, the United States made public the accusation that falls on Luis Enrique Martinelli Linares, in which it indicates that he was charged with the alleged commission of the crime of conspiracy to commit money laundering and two crimes of concealment of information for that purpose. , between 2009 and 2015.

The son of former President Martinelli was detained last July at La Aurora Airport and remains detained together with his brother Ricardo Alberto Martinelli Linares at the Mariscal Zavala military prison.