The contempt of witness Damaris Rodríguez Araúz marked the eighteenth day of the Odebrecht case hearing, after the former National Police official failed to respond to the Tribunal's call, even though a summons had been issued on August 17, 2025, for her to appear. Her absence forced the suspension of the trial until Friday, February 13, a date originally set to conclude the arguments phase; however, the process will continue with the presentation of expert and testimonial evidence, which will delay its conclusion by at least another week. Although the prosecution attempted to excuse the absence by citing possible irregularities in the summons procedure, the Tribunal explained that it has all the conforming receipts of the judicial proceedings performed. Summons No. 556, withdrawn by lawyer Rolando Rodríguez on January 30 and delivered the same day to the National Directorate of Human Resources of the National Police, meant the witness was considered formally summoned. Before proceeding with the corresponding contempt fine, Judge Baloisa Marquínez ordered the issuance of a new summons for Rodríguez Araúz to appear before the Tribunal on Friday, February 13, starting at 8:30 in the morning. Additionally, Official No. was issued. The defense has reiterated that her presence is key, as the report of expert Antonio Lim—a central document for the accusation—was prepared based on reports from the former official, who is not accredited as an accountant and lacks training in that field. Meanwhile, lawyer Alfredo Vallarino, a member of the legal team for former President Ricardo Martinelli, stated that the defense expects to fully exercise the right to cross-examine, considering that the witness made accusations without the necessary technical preparation.
