HURRICANE Irma is delaying delivery of a notification to  Panama’s ex-president Ricardo Martinelli from the Supreme Court of yet another prosecution against him. This one was lurking in the wings while he was still in office.

Martinelli faces charges for the alleged commission of crimes against public administration and individual liberty to the detriment of  Italian company Impregilo, S.A.

The facts relate  to a proceeding in Italy through the court of Naples which sentenced  Valter Lavitola, who acted as an intermediary between the Italian companies and Panama in order to extort Impregilo, while Martinelli was president (2009-14).

In a note dated August 25, signed by the President of the Court, José Ayú Prado, addressed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the lawyers of the Judicial Office of the Supreme Court of Justice, Manuel Calvo, Undersecretary of the Supreme Court and Aura Tuñon, assistant to the General Secretariat, in addition to Fermin Bonilla as the representative of the prosecutor of the case, will request the consul's collaboration in Miami, Florida, to be sent to Martinelli, in the Miami  Federal Detention Center since June 4 - a note informing him that the magistrate in charge  Harry Diaz, has been asked to set the date of the hearing,

The mission, however, will have to wait until hurricane Irma passes through the city, currently under emergency alert.