Supreme Court declares Martinelli revenue law unconstitutional
PANAMA’S Supreme Court on Thursday July 3, declared the law creating the National Public Revenue Authority under former President Ricardo Martinelli to be unconstitutional. The decision was unanimous.
Court sources reported that the judges discussed two claims of unconstitutionality presented in 2013 by lawyers Luis Rogelio García and Miguel Antonio Bernal said La Prensa
The law was passed in April 2013 and a month later Martinelli appointed Luis Cucalón – then the general director of Revenue in the Ministry of Economy and Finance – to be the new administrator with a monthly salary of $10,000.
The appointment was for a period of seven years, meaning his term would extend until 2020. The law was struck down because the judges ruled this would limit the president’s ability to regulate the agency, as the appointment would overlap with future administrations.
President Juan Carlos Varela has pledged to reform laws passed by Martinelli that extended the terms of appointed officials into his administration
