Call for Martinelli trial in $49 million dried food scam

JUDGE  Oyden Ortega serving as prosecutor has requested a hearing for  former president Ricardo Martinelli to face charges of   commission of crimes against public administration, involving  dehydrated food purchases funded by the  National Assistance Program (PAN).

Martinelli’s defense team , , was notified Tuesday, May 31, by the General Secretariat of the Supreme Court (CSJ). Martinelli has been outside the country since January 28, 2015

Judge Jerome Mejia will decide  the date and time of the hearing.

Martinelli  was investigated for irregularities in the purchase $44.9 million of dehydrated food from Lerkshore International Ltd., through the PAN, in the previous  administration

Giacomo Tamburrelli, former director of the PAN program, declared in January 2015 before the Second Anti-Corruption Prosecutor that Martinelli ordered him how to prepare and award the contract to Lerkshore International.