Panama investigation of whistle blowing emails

Panama’s Public Ministry  has started investigating a complaint filed in December over alleged interference in the private emails of president, Ricardo Martinelli.

The complaint  was filed December 5 by the Executive Secretary for Legal Affairs of the Presidency, Ana Belfon. It was based on a television interview  given that day, by the leader of the opposition Democratic Revolutionary Party, Balbina Herrera, in which she revealed the contents of emails to Martinelli, several of his collaborators, and Italian Valter Lavítola, a fugitive from justice.

In one of the emails, Lavítola tells Adolfo De Obarrio, private secretary to the president, that:  "in a year must have a new administrator of the Canal and would be good to start thinking about who might be a good candidate who liked the  capo [Martinelli ]. "

Lavitola, in the center of major investigations into kick backs for to governments and individuals by an Italian company that signed multiple contracts with Panama is  hiding in Argnetina  and has said he is going back to Italy to face the music, and that a jail cell is waiting for him.

The complainant asked the public prosecutor to investigate the content, origin and authenticity of the emails disclosed in the interview.

Secretariat General of the Public Ministry reported that as a first step, they would try to determine whether there are elements to prove a crime in this case because the complaint is not established.

Herrera has stated repeatedly that she had access to these emails from a person not identified.