By Samuel Miller
Impunity Watch Desk Reporter, North America and Oceania
PANAMA CITY, Panama — On Monday, Panama’s Supreme Court ordered the detention of former President Ricardo Martinelli to face charges that he allegedly used public money to illegally spy on opponents. Martinelli insisted on Tuesday that he’s being targeted politically, and will stay outside the country while fighting charges.
The case is one of a half-dozen investigations against the 63-year-old supermarket magnate for alleged corruption.
The Panama Supreme Court upheld a prosecutor’s request to order the detention of Martinelli after a judge declared him in contempt for failing to appear at a hearing.
In a resolution read by Judge Luis Mario Carrasco, the provisional detention order was stated as being ” fully justified because of the evident inattention to the process on the part of the investigated party.”
The Panama Electoral Tribunal in April rescinded Martinellli’s immunity, which is afforded to all ex-presidents in Panama. The Panama Supreme Court had requested Martinelli’s immunity be lifted after unanimously voting in January to appoint a special prosecutor and begin the corruption probe.
Martinelli, who oversaw a public works boom and Latin America’s fastest economic growth in recent years, fled Panama in January and is believed to be living in Miami.
Despite his initial popularity, his administration was tainted by allegations of corruption. Martinelli is accused of using public funds to illegally spy on more than 150 prominent people. Among those he allegedly spied on are trade union activists, politicians, lawyers, doctors and business people. Investigators said the wiretaps were carried out by members of Panama’s National Security Council.
On Monday, Martinelli denied the charges. “Like those now detained illegally, I’m a victim of rigged proceedings, of coerced or manufactured witnesses and it is ever more evident the violations to the presumption of innocence and due process.”
Martinelli has accused Varela, who once was his vice president, of concocting a case against him in revenge for being fired from his second post as foreign minister two years into the presidency. “I will prove my innocence here because there is no justice over there,” Martinelli said in a statement. “I’ll go if a politically appropriate moment presents itself, or after that tyrant leaves in 2019.”
Martinelli left Panama aboard his private jet in January after the election of archrival Juan Carlos Varela and a day after the Supreme Court took steps to lift his immunity as a current member of the Central American Parliament.
Panama has already filed an Interpol notice for his arrest.
For more information, please see:
ABC News — Panama’s Ex-President Fighting Spying Charges From Abroad – 22 December 2015
Al-Jazeera America — Panama court orders detention of ex-president – 22 December 2015
BBC News — Panama orders arrest of ex-leader Ricardo Martinelli – 22 December 2015
JURIST — Former Panama president detained over illegal spying – 22 December 2015
Reuters — Panama court orders detention of ex-president over spying – 22 December 2015
Tico Times — Panama court orders detention of ex-President Ricardo Martinelli – 22 December 2015
