Former Panamanian president Ricardo Martinelli recently reappeared in Palma de Mallorca after a prolonged period of absence tied to a high profile probe. The investigation centers on allegations of abuse by Martinelli against his former partner and involves a group of civil guards who reportedly collaborated with him as part of an ongoing inquiry. The 2024 presidential hopeful has taken formal steps to appoint legal counsel, naming an attorney and a solicitor and authorizing a power of attorney to act on his behalf. Since March of the previous year, he has faced charges alleging criminal organization, disclosure, and harassment. For months the Palma courts struggled to locate him, and prosecutors filed a temporary case closing order when his whereabouts remained unknown. The case went dormant until his late return drew renewed attention to the proceedings and the possibility that witnesses may be called to testify as part of the evolving investigation.
A sequence of events followed public statements by the public prosecutor and a renewed complaint process in Palma No. 1 Court concerning violence against women. After reports indicated Martinelli’s resurgent involvement in the case, sources close to the matter indicated that investigators were preparing to summon him to testify, given his renewed participation in the investigation. The renewed activity coincides with broader efforts by Panamanian authorities to address allegations of coercive behavior and the misuse of influence in political life. The renewed attention to the case reflects the seriousness with which Palma’s judicial system treats violence, power dynamics, and the protection of victims within a high profile political context.
Internal Affairs investigations conducted within the Civil Guard followed a separate complaint filed in Palma courts by Martinelli’s former partner. The inquiry uncovered that a group described as civilian guards engaged in extensive monitoring and surveillance of the woman during the summer of 2020 in Mallorca. Reports indicate that these individuals, acting in their private time, used messaging chats to relay the woman’s movements and precise locations to Martinelli, sometimes sharing photographs and other material. At one point, the victim was said to have been alerted that her phone had potentially been tapped using a sophisticated surveillance tool. The complex set of actions suggests a coordinated effort to track and document the woman’s routine, raising serious questions about abuse of power and the potential breach of privacy rights. The unfolding narrative highlights tensions between political influence, law enforcement personnel, and the safeguarding of personal autonomy in a landscape where public life and private safety intersect in troubling ways.