Two plaintiffs withdraw from Martinelli trial

Two of the six plaintiffs in the illegal wiretapping case against former president Ricardo Martinelli,  have reached an out-of-court settlement with the defense.

They are Juan Carlos Navarro, former mayor of Panama, and Mauro Zúñiga, former leader of the doctors’ union. Sources from the Judicial Branch confirmed that Navarro submitted a letter to the Judicial Office to inform them that he is withdrawing the accusation and states that he has no intention of continuing with the process.

Meanwhile, Zúñiga presents a notarized document, through the lawyer Carlos Ameglio Moncada, in which he indicates that, in effect, he desists from the “claim in the process.”

Rosendo Rivera, one of the plaintiffs, confirmed that some of the victims reached agreements with Martinelli’s lawyers. At first, he said they were Navarro, Zúñiga, and a “third party”, without mentioning the names  Rivera said on Telemetro.

David Cuevas, Rivera’s lawyer, said that he met three times with Martinelli’s lawyers “but his proposal does not satisfy the victim. So if they do not improve their offer and meet the aspirations of my client, we remain in the case ”.

He indicated that “the defense strategy is to try to reach agreements with all the plaintiffs.”

Balbina Herrera, Mitchell Doens, and journalist Rubén Polanco reported that they remain in the process.

“I am not going to sit with Mr. Martinelli. I am not interested in his money. I want him to come out saying: I made the mistake, I recorded, it’s true and I want to apologize to the Panamanian people, “said Balbina Herrera.

Last week, the Oral Trial Court rejected, as “inadmissible”, a series of petitions from the former president’s defense, including a hearing to present a third medical incapacity to suspend the trial scheduled for Wednesday, July 21.

In his Twitter account, Martinelli reported that he will be present at the trial. “I’m not hiding, I  will show my face,” he said.