https://www.laestrella.com.pa/nacional/231108/abogados-martinelli-denuncian-irregularidades-recurso-casacion

The legal team of former president Ricardo Martinelli in a press conference denounced a series of procedural irregularities in matters of cassation appeals, which are being tried in the Superior Court for the Settlement of Criminal Cases.

Lawyer Carlos Carrillo, from the legal team of former president Martinelli, denounced violation of the procedure that has been carried out in the cassation appeals timely announced by the defense of the people convicted in the “New Bussines” case, “especially in the name of Ricardo Martinelli.” Berrocal.”

He maintained that it is not about interpretation, but rather a blatant violation of the law “given the legal impossibility of the judicial system being able to affect the Panamanian political system, since they have gone beyond the law to try to affect the electoral calendar and the Martinelli’s aspirations for the presidency of the Republic,” said Carrillo.

He warned that legally they will exhaust all resources and that from now on they will be filing all resources and complaints at the national and international level to avoid this situation.

“There has been no previous precedent until November 2 that makes the aberrant interpretation that has been made, there is no legal basis and it has become evident that the guarantees that the law grants in the judicial process followed by Ricardo Martinelli do not exist” said Carrillo.

Present at the press conference were the presidential candidate of Realizing Goals, Ricardo Martinelli, his candidate for vice president, José Raúl Mulino, and the president of the Alianza Party, José Muñoz.

Martinelli stated that they are flagrantly violating all his civil and political rights with the purpose of influencing the electoral result and not allowing him to be a candidate for the presidency.

Martinelli’s defense will have 15 business days to formalize the appeal announced against the sentence of 10 years and 6 months for the crime of money laundering in the case known as “New Business.”

On October 24, 2023, the Superior Court for Settlement of Criminal Cases of the First Judicial District of Panama confirmed the sentence of Martinelli, Daniel Miguel Ochy Diez, Valentín Martínez Vásquez, Iván Arturo Arrocha Chevalier and Janett Ibet Vásquez Sanjur.

The appeal was announced through Edict No. 472, which was published this Tuesday, November 7, by the Judicial Branch and whose presiding judge is Manuel Mata Avendaño.