Court closes books on Martinelli’s million-dollar lawsuit against attorney
PA2003 - CIUDAD DE PANAMÁ (PANAMÁ), 23/6/2015 .- La procuradora General de Panamá, Kenia Porcell, habla hoy, mates 23 de junio de 2015, durante una entrevista concedida a Efe en Ciudad de Panamá (Panamá). Porcell identifica signos propios del crimen organizado en el caso del Plan de Ayuda Nacional (PAN), la primera de varias causas penales abiertas contra la administración del gobierno de Ricardo Martinelli (2009-2014). EFE/Alejandro BolÌvar.
The First Superior Court of Justice sent to the Third Civil Court the lawsuit that former president Ricardo Martinelli filed three years ago against former Attorney General Kenia Porcell which ended with a dismissal from the Supreme Court last May.
Because of the lawsuit, in which Martinelli claimed $1 million from Porcell, the former attorney had assets seized for up to the sum of $120,000. The former president alleged that his honor had been affected by statements made by Porcell in a radio program in July 2019, when she was still a prosecutor, in which she made statements about the wiretap case (a process by which the former president was finally declared not guilty).
La Prensa traces the sequence of events:
- In March 2020, Martinelli managed to get the Third Civil Court to order the seizure of Porcell’s assets for up to $120,000. That kidnapping was carried out in July of the same year, in full confinement due to the covid-19 pandemic. It took place at the residence of the former attorney in Brisas del Golf. One of Martinelli’s lawyers even walked around the house and, to suspend the proceedings, Porcell posted a bond of $144,000, which covered the value of the kidnapping.
- After the civil kidnapping was carried out, Judge Ana Zita Rowe did not accept Martinelli’s claim because she considered that she was not competent to carry out the process, since Porcell’s actions were in her capacity as Attorney General. The person responsible for settling the matter, according to Rowe, was the Third Chamber of the Supreme Court.
- Martinelli’s defense appealed the court’s decision and the case was sent to the First Superior Court of Justice, which ruled in favor of the former president.
- Porcell then promoted constitutional guarantees against the decision of the First Superior Court and won. The Court agreed with Judge Rowe’s criteria: Porcell’s statements were made within the framework of the investigations into the puncture case and by virtue of her functions as Attorney General.
- Complying with the Court’s mandate, the First Superior Court informed the Third Civil Court that Martinelli’s lawsuit has been dismissed.
