Martinelli to sue Panamanian police subcommissioner

Former President Ricardo Martinelli warned this week that he will take legal action against a subcommissioner of the National Police, who, in addition to allegedly falsifying official reports within the Odebrecht case investigations, would have mistreated those involved. According to the former president, the subcommissioner, who was then a captain, was following instructions from the former prosecutor Kenia Porcell. Martinelli stated that the officer, without having knowledge in accounting, signed reports that were used to accuse and convict people linked to the Odebrecht case. The former leader even compared the official to Ilse Koch, 'the butcher of Buchenwald,' and openly questioned her professional suitability, despite her promotion to subcommissioner within the National Police of Panama. For the former head of state, it is also unacceptable that the subcommissioner receives a special pension, not to mention that it does tremendous damage to the institution's reputation. Faced with this scenario, Martinelli believes that she should be removed from her position and investigated for the alleged crime of usurpation and impersonation of competencies. 'The butcher of Buchenwald was used by the Prosecutor's Office to fabricate fake reports and to accuse, torture, violate rights, prosecute, and imprison hundreds of Panamanians,' he stated. In fact, a certification bearing the signature of the head of the Department of Registration of Certified Public Accountants indicates that no documentary evidence of her competency to practice as a certified public accountant was found.