The Supreme Court of Panama has ordered the arrest of ex-president Ricardo Martinelli, who has been accused of using public funds to spy on more than 150 high-profile individuals during his leadership of the country from 2009-2014. He and his former security chiefs allegedly used illegal wiretaps to intercept the communications of opposition politicians, journalists, doctors, activists and business executives.
The arrest has been ordered because Martinelli failed to appear at a scheduled hearing earlier this month, and his current whereabouts are unknown, according to GlobalPost. A day after the Supreme Court began hearing rounds of corruption allegations against him in January this year, Martinelli left Panama on a plane that was headed to Florida. It is speculated that he is currently in Miami.
Martinelli has claimed that the allegations are part of a conspiracy against him led by current president, Juan Carlos Varela, reports the BBC. After the Supreme Court's announcement, Martinelli tweeted on Tuesday: "First round of the political trial: without having been properly documented, without charges, without proper notification and without sentence, my provisional arrest has been ordered."
Martinelli has also argued that he is supported by the constitution of Panama, which he claims delivers no laws against the tapping of communications, according to Business Standard.
In addition to the accusations of spying, he is under examination by the court for skimming money from a $45 million school lunch contract during his presidency, as well as having involvement in several other corruption cases, explains GlobalPost. Some of his former ministers have already been imprisoned for participating in both embezzlement and corruption.
Although Panama has already filed a notice with Interpol for the arrest of Ricardo Martinelli, the Supreme Court did not offer information about how his arrest will be pursued.
Round 1 de juicio politico: sin estar en expediente, sin imputaciòn, sin debida notificaciòn y sin condena se ordena detencion provisional.
— Ricardo Martinelli (@rmartinelli) December 22, 2015
