AS FORMER PRESIDENT Ricardo Martinelli  and his  battery of lawyers twist and turn  to find ways to block the runaway from appearing before Panama judges,  the Foreign Ministry has flatly rejected as "unfounded"  two appeals filed by the defense .

His lawyers  sought to halt the extradition of the former leader, who is being investigated by  the Supreme Court of Justice (SCJ) for the alleged commission of the crime against inviolability of secrecy and the right to privacy for allegedly spying on at least 150 people.

Official sources told La Prensa that the rejection is of   the opposition to the extradition request, and a warning of unconstitutionality  in the process, that reached the office of Chancellor  de Alvarado rom Rogelio Cruz, one of the Martinelli lawyers.

On May 27 last, Judge Jerome Mejia-in functions of judge of guarantees presented to the Foreign Ministry a request to extradite and arrest Martinelli, who left the country on January 28, 2015 and is located in Miami, United States.

Martinelli is required within the process followed by the unauthorized interception of communications, through the National Security Council during his tenure (2009-2014).

The defense claims that the extradition request is null, since his client has not been charged, which is a violation of the Code of Criminal Procedure and the American Convention on Human Rights.

However, in   October 2015v, the prosecutor Judge Harry Diaz filed an indictment pointing to Martinelli for the alleged commission of crimes of inviolability of secrecy and privacy, embezzlement and embezzlement of use.

Martinelli is also facing prosecution in multiple other cases involving alleged corruption for sums running into scores of millions of dollars. His two sons who are also accused of corruption have fled the country, and their whereabouts are unknown. Numerous members of the former president’s inner circle have also fled Panama. At least one of them on Martinelli’s private jet.