Martinelli's team strikes back at critics

 Lawyers for Ricardo Martinelli, accompanied by bailiffs from the Sixth Civil Court, arrived Wednesday at the residences of Annette Planells and the children of Mauricio Valenzuela, from the Foco Panama digital portal, to seize assets, as part of processes filed by the former president for alleged slander and libel reports  La Prensa.

The procedure at Planells’ house, in a building in Altos del Golf, could not be carried out. But in the home of the Valenzuela children, in Pueblo Nuevo, the officials took several belongings, televisions, and even cushions. The communicator does not reside in that house.

Daniel Flores Planells, son of Annette Planells, received the court officials and Martinelli’s lawyers. He explained to them that they could not enter the property, since it is in the name of a corporation and, therefore, the property is not sequesterable. The bailiff insisted that the plaintiff had posted a bond to carry out the kidnapping.

Although Valenzuela does not reside in Pueblo Nuevo, the procedure was carried out at the residence of his minor children.

“This procedure is a judicial kidnapping that has been done to Mr. Valenzuela, as a result of damages to Mr. Ricardo Martinelli for everything that he, without proof, always argues and talks about him,” said Jéssica Canto, one of the lawyers. Martinelli, who was present at the Pueblo Nuevo stage, along with Shirley Castañeda and Luis Eduardo Camacho, another lawyer, and spokesperson, respectively, for the former president. Canto said that Camacho was present at the scene as an “expert.”

Castañeda confirmed that the “kidnapping” is part of the civil lawsuit for slander and libel that Martinelli filed. She added that the lawsuit is not motivated by any specific publication, but by “many… because of that constant deceit on the part of Annette Planells, Digital Media, and Mauricio Valenzuela.”

“It is about several errors. This is the first… It also involves Digital Media, which is the owner of Foco… The mess is over! They have to be very clear about it,” Camacho warned.

The three (Camacho, Canto, and Castañeda) were also in the Altos del Golf building, where Daniel Flores attended them.

While the former mayor of the capital, José Isabel Blandón, maintains that it cannot be accepted that Panama becomes a country where the economic power of a person can silence the voice of the media.

“If today, who does not hold public office, thus violates freedom of expression, imagine it with the power of the Executive,” added Blandón.