The Extradition of an Ex-President in Exile.
August 23, 2017.
- Miami, Florida, USA
I was in U.S. Federal Court in Miami today with Ricardo Martinelli. The Ex President of Panama. I listened to the arguments between the Attorney's and the questions from the judge.
The judge seemed partial to the U.S. State Department who is seeking Martinelli's removal based on an extradition request from Panama.
The judge repeatedly asked questions, again and again, of Martinelli's attorneys and often challenged their opinions about the application of United States law and even argued the meaning of plain english attempting to bypass the Ex Post Facto language of a non retroactive extradition treaty with Panama'.
The arguments revolved around two main issues. The first argument being about the Treaty between the United States and Panama. The second being the fact that the current Panamanian government has changed its "Affidavits" four times causing Martinelli's attorneys to call out the Panamanian court corruption and this action, as being a political hack job and challenged the judge to delve into an investigation of the depths of corruption in the Panamanian courts, who refused... saying that Panamanian procedures are not on the table here but only in Panama.
It is alleged that Martinelli committed political espionage (wire tapping) in 2012. The Panama / U.S. Extradition Treaty was revised in 2014 to add this type of crime to its list of extraditable offenses which was not previously on the list...... BUT the treaty, which was signed in 1905, says that no one shall be extradited retroactively. This means that since the crime of political espionage (wire tapping) was not extraditable in 2012, then Martinelli cannot be extradited now because this type of alleged crime wasn't added to the Treaty until 2014.
The attorney for the United States provided an infantile example of a child where he Shall go home after school, then Shall do his homework; opining that if the two statements were separated the second would have no subject and if we were to assume it was referring to the child he shall never stop doing homework. I was screaming inside after that statement because it was not only an idiotic example, no one has ever stopped doing homework if he wants to have a successful life.
Panama made their original extradition request solely for the wire tapping allegation, and once confronted with such a strong defense as the retroactive clause in the Treaty, the government has since changed its request four times with four "affidavits", now also alleging "embezzlement", (not theft), of highly sensitive Israeli made wire tapping equipment, software and computers, without providing any evidence that the State contract was even consummated, simply because embezzlement was extraditable in 2012.
This has caused the defense attorney's for Martinelli to scream "Corruption" four times; asking the court in Miami to recognize the political lies and deny Panama' Martinelli's removal from Miami.
The crux of the embezzlement issue is In 2012, The government executed a contract with an Israeli surveillance contractor. It allegedly bought the stuff in the War on Terrorism and Drugs according to the manufacturer of the Pegasus surveillance software. But They say Martinelli used it against political rivals and stole the equipment after the contract expired.
The defense says the equipment was returned to the contractor except for a printer that belonged to PRD. But Panamanian informants say that some of it was delivered to the offices of Super-99, Martinelli's chain of grocery stores in Panama.
Neither side discussed the details in the allege non-cash embezzlement of computers in this open court.
The decision is expected on August 31, 2017