Demetrio “Jimmy” Papadimitriu, former Minister of the Presidency during the term of former President Ricardo Martinelli, has filed two incidents of nullity in order to avoid facing trial in the Odebrecht case scheduled for November. His lawyer, Rolando Rodríguez, bases the defense on possible violations of due process and errors in the formulation of charges.
In the first incident, of constitutional nature, it is argued that the facts under investigation were shelved in 2015 following a complaint for unjust enrichment filed by Sidney Sittón. According to the defense, the Public Ministry had investigated the alleged receipt of funds through companies linked to Odebrecht, concluding that the funds were of lawful origin, which led to the definitive dismissal.
The defense maintains that subjecting Papadimitriu to trial again for the same facts constitutes a violation of Article 1945 of the Judicial Code, which prohibits prosecuting a person more than once for the same act, even if the circumstances change.
The second argument of the defense questions the charges brought by the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office, arguing that Papadimitriu, in his role as Minister of the Presidency, was not involved in the execution of construction projects related to Odebrecht.
In summary, Jimmy Papadimitriu's defense seeks to nullify the Odebrecht case by appealing to alleged irregularities in the judicial process and claiming that the facts for which he is accused were already shelved in the past.
