The preliminary hearing of the alleged money laundering ”New Business” case will resume on Thursday without its star defendant former president Ricardo Martinelli- and the brothers David and Daniel Ochy.

The process is against 21 people – including three of them – for the purchase of  Editora Panamá América, SA   (Epasa) allegedly with public funds, a case known as New Business.

Sources from the Judicial Branch reported that after the ruling issued by the Electoral Court (TE) on March 22, which maintained Martinelli's electoral criminal jurisdiction, the third criminal court liquidator, in charge of Baloisa Marquínez, decided to separate the former ruler of the main process until the Supreme Court of Justice resolves two claims of unconstitutionality filed against the TE ruling.

The Ochy brothers, who were not notified for the first hearing date on January 27, the court also decided to separate them from the process and set June 16 as the first date for their preliminary hearing. The alternate date would be July 14.

In addition, a challenge filed by Martinelli against Marquínez is pending, an appeal that is in the hands of the first liquidator judge, Agueda Rentería, who has stated that she will resolve it once the issue of Martinelli's electoral jurisdiction is defined.

The former president's defense also denounced Marquínez for abuse of authority and excess of functions.