Former Panamanian president acquits second acquittal in phone call case | Court News

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Ricardo Martinelli was accused of listening to more than 150 people, including politicians and journalists.
Former Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli has been acquitted on suspicion of touching the phones of political opponents and journalists while in power.
Martinelli, who served as president from 2009 to 2014, was tried in July after being acquitted in 2019 of similar charges.
He was also accused of misappropriating public funds to spy on his opponents while driving the country, and the prosecution accused him of hearing more than 150 people, including politicians and journalists.
But the court ruled Tuesday that prosecutors did not have enough evidence against Martinelli.
“Justice was finally applied,” the 69-year-old said as he left court. “Seven years of this torture. I thank God and the justice system in Panama. I suffered a lot. ‘
Carlos Herrera Moran, the lawyer for one of the victims of the alleged hearings, said the decision was “outside the law and the evidence presented.”
It was Martinelli extradited From the United States to be tried in Panama in 2018.
He was acquitted in August 2019 on charges of espionage and malice and released from prison. The court found that the prosecutor had violated due process after a five-month trial, and also criticized the prosecution’s evidence.
But the Panamanian government won the appeal, arguing that there were enough elements for a new trial that began in July.
As president, Martinelli allegedly spent millions of dollars on sophisticated Israeli spy equipment, including spyware. Pegasus.
NSO Group, the Israeli company behind this spyware, has renewed its analysis in recent weeks research the international media revealed that Pegasus was used by security forces and authoritarian governments in several countries.
Also the administration of US President Joe Biden punished The NSO Group last week accused the Israeli company of allowing “transnational repression” with its spy.
The NSO Group has rejected criticism, saying its products help authorities deal with criminals and “terrorists”.
Martinelli, the owner of a supermarket chain, hopes to run for president again in 2024. He has called the charges against him political harassment and an attempt to stop his re-election.
He rose to the presidency in 2009 after winning an election campaign in which he gave a speech denouncing corruption and the country’s political class.
He was later named “Pandora Papers”The investigation into the creation of an offshore shell company was intended to hide money in tax havens, but he refused to participate in any of the wrongs.
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