Panama's 'Fugitive' Ex-President Could Face Extradition from US
Panama's 'Fugitive' Ex-President Could Face Extradition from US
Published 12 March 2016 (10 hours 19 minutes ago)
Former President Ricardo Martinelli is accused of embezzlement, illegal espionage, and other corruption charges.
Former Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli, accused of embezzlement and illegal spying on political rivals, faces possible extradition as Interpol Panama received an arrest warrant for the fugitive former leader, police sources confirmed on Friday.
Panama’s Supreme Court ordered Martinelli’s arrest in December after the former president, known to be hiding out in Miami, failed to show up to a Panamanian court for a much-anticipated hearing on his case.
He was declared in contempt, and judges called for his detention while investigations into charges of corruption and illegal espionage continued. Last month, the Supreme Court rejected appeals by Martinelli’s legal team to have the arrest warrant overturned.
Judges have now opted to send the arrest warrant straight to Interpol with the goal of seeing Martinelli extradited to Panama, EFE reported citing anonymous police sources.
More:
http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Panamas-Fugitive-Ex-President-Could-Face-Extradition-from-US-20160312-0023.html
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Visiting his old friend, Silvio Berlusconi[/center]
From Miami's 'Scarface' pad, Panama's exiled President Ricardo Martinelli fights back
Blake Schmidt and Bill Faries | Bloomberg |September 17, 2015
MIAMI — Just outside downtown Miami, in a luxury condo building made famous by the 1980s hits “Scarface” and “Miami Vice,” a billionaire ex-president is holed up in exile.
Ricardo Martinelli — scion of Panamanian landholders and an ex-Citigroup banker — was Latin America’s most popular president a few years ago, a leader who was just as likely to make headlines for helping his country win an investment-grade rating as he was for his lavish personal spending and extravagant parties. Yet as Panama’s Supreme Court was opening probes earlier this year into his role in alleged phone-tapping and corruption scandals that drained millions from government coffers, Martinelli skipped town. A separate investigation is now underway in crisis-torn Brazil, home to a company that won concessions for mega-projects in Panama during Martinelli’s 2009-2014 tenure, and one was also carried out in Italy.
A silver-haired, portly 63-year-old, Martinelli spends much of his time in Miami’s waterfront Brickell neighborhood defending his public record, maintaining his innocence and hinting at a possible political comeback. He’s on Twitter constantly, tweeting opinions and announcements to his legion of 557,000 followers.
MIAMI — Just outside downtown Miami, in a luxury condo building made famous by the 1980s hits “Scarface” and “Miami Vice,” a billionaire ex-president is holed up in exile.
Ricardo Martinelli — scion of Panamanian landholders and an ex-Citigroup banker — was Latin America’s most popular president a few years ago, a leader who was just as likely to make headlines for helping his country win an investment-grade rating as he was for his lavish personal spending and extravagant parties. Yet as Panama’s Supreme Court was opening probes earlier this year into his role in alleged phone-tapping and corruption scandals that drained millions from government coffers, Martinelli skipped town. A separate investigation is now underway in crisis-torn Brazil, home to a company that won concessions for mega-projects in Panama during Martinelli’s 2009-2014 tenure, and one was also carried out in Italy.
A silver-haired, portly 63-year-old, Martinelli spends much of his time in Miami’s waterfront Brickell neighborhood defending his public record, maintaining his innocence and hinting at a possible political comeback. He’s on Twitter constantly, tweeting opinions and announcements to his legion of 557,000 followers.
More:
http://www.ticotimes.net/2015/09/17/from-miamis-scarface-pad-panamas-exiled-president-ricardo-martinelli-fights-back