The Second Settlement Court for Criminal Cases of the First Judicial Circuit of Panama, in charge of Judge Baloísa Marquínez M., flatly rejected the brief invoking electoral criminal jurisdiction presented by the lawyer Luis E. Camacho González in favor of a former president of the Republic, Ricardo Martinelli, within the so-called New Business case.

The Marquínez decision is made in accordance with the provisions of article No. 314 of agreement No. 7-1 of February 15, 2022, which approves the single text of the Electoral Code, published in Official Gazette No. 29482- A. _

The court stated that the previously adopted provision, by virtue of the decision issued by the plenary session of the Supreme Court of Justice, who by means of a resolution of August 11, 2022, declared that the resolution of March 22, 2022, issued by the plenary session of the Electoral Tribunal, which ordered to revoke in all its parts, Resolution 2-22 of February 23, 2022, issued by the Second Administrative Electoral Court, who had ordered the lifting of the electoral criminal jurisdiction of the former president.

Therefore, it was ordered that the legal effects of this ruling be maintained, that is, of resolution 2-22 of February 23, 2022, issued by the Second Administrative Electoral Court within the present case.

Likewise, the Second Liquidating Court considers that it is important to highlight that, regarding the criminal jurisdiction invoked, since there is a firm and enforceable pronouncement by the electoral administrative authorities, in accordance with the content of article 314 of agreement 7-1 of 15 of February 2022, by which the single text of the Electoral Code is approved , published in Official Gazette No. 29482-A , which refers to the following: “Once the criminal electoral jurisdiction is lifted within a process, it will not be necessary to request again its removal in the event that the taxpayer acquires the jurisdiction again for any other situation.

The Realizando Metas party is in the process of choosing its presidential candidate and Martinelli is one of the figures seeking to be the presidential candidate.