Ricardo Martinelli is a multi-millionaire has Italian nationality and financial assets around the world and remains a flight risk say the complainants in the wiretapping case against the former president in presenting their opposition to a  move to seek bail.

He is currently in from detention in El Renacer prison where h has already been granted special comforts not available to those who sweat out years awaiting trial in the overcrowded La Joya hell hole

Martinelli is charged with allegedly spying on communications of at least 150 people, with allegations by Attorney General Kenia Porcell, that Interim Supreme Court president Hernan De Lion that the victims could number 5,000 and that there are recordings of him, allegedly used for blackmail purposes.

The bail request will be analyzed by the plenary of the Supreme Court of Justice in a hearing convened for August 28.

Carlos Herrera Delegate, lawyer of Mauro Zúñiga a complainant in the process, recalled that on June 19, the Court decided not to change the provisional detention, after warning that there is a risk of flight, as well as the lack of cooperation of the ex-president to the process. "These circumstances have not changed," warned the jurist.

In the ruling, the plenary of the Court argued that there are procedural dangers and provisional detention must be maintained

The lawyer says that the Martinelli legal team "has not brought any new element" that changes his condition to be worthy of bail.

Escape route
Herrera Delegado argued that the Italian nationality of Martinelli, would allow him to flee to that country "to evade the process", reports  La Prensa.

Rodolfo Pinzón, lawyer for the PRD  leader Balbina Herrera, suggested the Court take as reference the considerations made by US  federal judge Edwin Torres, who on July 7, 2017, denied a bail request to Martinelli,  when his extradition process was aired. Torres assessed the risk of flight, given that Martinelli "is certainly a millionaire" and maintains commercial interests throughout the world. "This Court cannot lose the control it has over him until the process is over," said Torres.

Nicomedes Castillo, lawyer of former presidential candidate Juan Carlos Navarro, agreed that there is no variation in procedural conditions of the accused,  and  the Court must ratify its initial criterion to maintain provisional detention.

The intermediate hearing resumes on Thursday, August 23 before judge of guarantees Jerónimo Mejía.