Panamanian authorities on Thursday ordered the arrest of former President Ricardo Martinelli, who has barricaded himself in the Nicaraguan embassy since receiving political asylum from Nicaragua earlier this month.
Federal law enforcement officials announced that a judge has approved a request to change Martinelli’s conditional release, which was kept in place while he appeals a 10-year prison sentence for money laundering convictions. The Supreme Court rejected Martinelli’s appeal earlier this month, upholding his sentence and possibly ending his attempt at a political comeback.
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The change is unlikely to lead to an immediate arrest, as Martinelli remained inside the Nicaraguan embassy. The government has so far not allowed Nicaragua to deport Martinelli.
Justice officials said the request to change Martinelli’s release status reflected, among other things, the flight risk he posed.
Mr. Martinelli, 71, who ruled from 2009 to 2014, remains the party’s presidential candidate, but Panamanian constitution prohibits those sentenced to five years or more in prison for a crime from holding elected office. is prohibited.
Election officials said they were only waiting for formal notification of the Supreme Court’s ruling upholding action against his candidacy.
Former President of Panama Ricardo Martinelli speaks with supporters at an election rally in Panama City on February 3, 2024. On Thursday, February 22, 2024, Panamanian authorities ordered Martinelli’s arrest. Martinelli has since barricaded himself in the Nicaraguan embassy. He received political asylum from that country earlier this month. (AP Photo/Agustin Herrera)
Martinelli was found guilty last July of money laundering in a case dating back to 2017 related to the 2010 acquisition of a publishing company that owned a national newspaper.
Prosecutors said companies that won lucrative government contracts during Martinelli’s presidency funneled money to front companies that were used to buy publishers. The transaction involved a complex series of overseas transfers, amounting to up to $43 million. Front companies that collected money were called “new businesses.”
Martinelli was sentenced to more than 10 years in prison and fined $19 million. He denies his wrongdoing and claims he was the victim of political persecution. The Court of Appeals confirmed the ruling in October.
Martinelli, a populist who oversaw a period of major infrastructure projects, including the construction of the capital’s first subway, is Panama’s first former president to be convicted.
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Last year, the U.S. government banned Martinelli from entering the country, accusing him and his immediate family of engaging in “serious” corruption.
