Forrmer presidential candidate forbidden to leave country
Former presidential candidate and PRD party leader Balbina Herrera, has received an injunction preventing her from leaving the country.
She received a notification to appear before the prosecutor of the 7th District, on Tuesday November 20 to face questioning over charges that she and Italian businessman Mauro Velocci disclosed, through FOX and TVN Channel 2, released emails containing conversations between President Ricardo Martinelli and businessman Lavítola Valter, who is detained in Italy for allegedly trying to blackmail former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi .
The complaint against her was filed December 5, 2011 by Ana Beldon,the legal adviser to the President, after the publishing emails that allegedly passed between Lavítola and Martinelli regarding the payment of bribes to Panamanian officials in the failed negotiations for the construction of modular prisons in Panama.
Herrera said Tuesday, November 20 that her lawyers were not notified of the citation she received from the prosecutor. and invoked article No. 22 of the Constitution, which states that you must have the assistance of an attorney in police and judicial investigations.
“I told them I was willing to testify, but I should have my lawyers present,” she told the media waiting outside the prosecutor’s office.
She took advantage of the media presence to send a message to President, Martinelli, about the case of Finmeccanica.
"President Ricardo Martinelli, rest assured that whoever is involved in the issue of Finmeccanica is in your government."
Herrera, emphasized Martinelli’s computer had not been hacked. She lamented the current administration of justice in the country and said that the charges were a political vendetta.
She said that the action of the Seventh Prosecutor was totally illegal and invoked article No. 22 of the Constitution, which states that you must have the assistance of an attorney in police and judicial investigations and because no judge can act on the decision of a prosecutor who had issued a temporary stay for her.
The leader said she is accused of violating Panamanian state security because "these documents were about President Ricardo Martinelli."
