On July 21, 2021, Ricardo Martinelli, the former President of Panama, made a gesture when he arrived at the headquarters of the Criminal Prosecution System in Panama City.
- Former Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli was tried for espionage against opponents during his administration and has been acquitted.
- This is the second time Martinelli has been acquitted for this type of charge-he had previously been accused of embezzling public funds to monitor opponents.
- He was also named in the “Pandora Documents” investigation to establish an offshore shell company, but denied participating.
Panama City-On Tuesday, former Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli was acquitted for allegedly spying on opponents of his government during his administration from 2009 to 2014.
This is the second time the former Panamanian leader has been acquitted for this type of charge.
He was also accused of embezzling public funds to monitor his opponents while leading the country, and prosecutors accused him of eavesdropping on more than 150 people, including politicians and journalists.
But the court ruled that the prosecution had insufficient evidence against Martinelli.
“Justice is finally done,” Martinelli, 69, said as he left the court.
He said:
Seven years of this torture. I thank God and the Panamanian justice system. I have suffered a lot.
Carlos Herrera Moran, the lawyer for one of the alleged victims of the wiretapping incident, stated that the decision was “outside the scope of the law and the evidence provided”.
Martinelli was acquitted of similar charges in 2019, but was overturned last year, forcing a new trial in July.
He was tried for the first time after being extradited from the United States in 2018. He lived in the United States for several years and evaded Panamanian justice.
The billionaire supermarket tycoon was promoted to president in 2009 after winning the election campaign, during which he gave a speech condemning corruption and the country’s political class.
He was later named in the “Pandora Files” investigation, which aimed to hide funds in the creation of an offshore shell company in a tax haven, but denied participating in any unpleasant things.
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