Dilatory judge slows New Business case progress

Judge Cecilio Cedalise does not seem to be in any hurry to carry out the conviction in the New Business case reports La Prensa.

His signature is the only one missing to decide whether or not to admit the warning of unconstitutionality that Ricardo Martinelli presented against an article of the Judicial Code. The draft ruling, which Judge Miriam Cheng prepared, already has the signatures of eight judges. Only Cedalise’s is pending.

But Cedalise does not seem to be very eager: this Monday, January 29, he traveled to the province of Colón, to attend the inauguration of the offices of the municipal authority of Portobelo.

A press release from the Public Ministry confirmed that Cedalise was accompanied by the Attorney General, Javier Caraballo. Both unveiled the plaque of the new judicial office. A purely protocol act.

Martinelli’s lawyers filed a claim of unconstitutionality against article 2439 of the Judicial Code, which deals with the requirements for the admission of cassation appeals.

They also filed an appeal against the sentence of 128 months in prison and a fine of $19.2 million against Martinelli, for laundering public funds to acquire the shares of Editora Panamá América, SA (Epasa) , in December 2010.

The sentence It was issued last July by criminal judge Baloisa Marquínez and ratified in October by the Superior Court for the Settlement of Criminal Cases.

The Criminal Chamber has not decided on the appeal, since this requires that the plenary session of the Supreme Court first resolve the warning of unconstitutionality.

Last October, Cedalise admitted an Amparo of constitutional guarantees presented by Vernon Salazar, another of the defendants in the New Business case. This protection is due to the decision of the Superior Court for the Settlement of Criminal Cases to admit an appeal by the prosecution against the acquittal of Salazar and nine other defendants.