Ex- president’s latest bid to dodge jail sentence

Former president Ricardo Martinelli convicted in two instances of money laundering, has filed a warning of unconstitutionality against an article of the Judicial Code. that specifies the requirements necessary to annul a sentence.

The warning was presented on January 8 by lawyer Carlos Carrillo on behalf of Martinelli, although it has not yet been admitted. Judge Miriam Cheng  will make the corresponding decision.

The appeal is added to the chain of legal actions that Martinelli has filed in different instances, to prevent the execution of the sentence of 128 months in prison and the payment of a fine of $19.2 million, for laundering public funds to acquire the shares. of Editora Panamá América, SA (Epasa) , in December 2010, in the so-called New Business case . The sentence was handed down last July by criminal judge Baloisa Marquínez and ratified by the Superior Court for the Settlement of Criminal Cases.

Information in development…