Court rejects latest Martinelli ploy in New Business case

The Criminal Case Settlement Court flatly rejected a warning of unconstitutionality presented by the legal defense of former President Ricardo Martinelli reports TVN.

The brief within the process called New Business, in which the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office Against Organized Crime charged 20 people for the alleged commission of the crime of money laundering to the detriment of the State for the purchase and sale of the Panama América Editorial group (EPASA ).

According to information published in edict No. 205, Martinelli’s defense filed the brief against Article 764 of the Judicial Code.

 The cited article says the following: “There will be no recourse against the qualifying orders of impediment, but whoever does not agree with the declaration of illegality of the impediment may challenge the judge or magistrate who declared it.”

The edict in reference was published on May 15, 2023, and was heard by judges Manuel Mata Avendaño, Secundino Mendieta and José Hoo Justiniani.

The Court for Settlement of Criminal Cases also has to resolve the appeal of the trial order, after at least seven defense attorneys filed briefs against what was approved by the second judge of criminal cases, Baloisa Marquínez.

The trial is scheduled for May 23 to June 5, 2023.