President Ricardo Martinelli, was “frustrated” at the "show" around the search for ex-president Ernesto  Perez Balladares said La Prensa. 

The frustration followed the police search for the former president which ended in a meeting that eluded the most incriminating questions, and closed without a precautionary measure to guarantee that he not escape.

In a lead story, La Prensa quotes a release issued by the presidency: "I have followed, through the media, the development of the events that occurred  around the former president, and I am deeply frustrated and shocked, as it seems are most of the Panamanian people".
"It was a show to see how the police searched the former president for several hours, and then he gets in his car to the Public Ministry, where he stayed only 20 minutes," he said.
Martinelli said that he respects the separation of state powers, and they do "everything in their power" to see the accused are brought to justice.
"I hope those who are called to constitutionally guarantee the rule of law," also do their job he said.
The executive, through the ministries of the Interior and Justice and the President-controls the National Directorate of Immigration, National Police, the Directorate of Judicial Investigation (DIJ) and the Institutional Protection Service (SPI).
The four participated in the search for Perez Balladares, even flying a helicopter to inspect his property and his private plane, after the Special Prosecutor's Office Organized Crime asked them to investigate the conduct of the former ruler, on Monday.
The publication which has done much to spotlight the alleged crimes if the ex-president quoted Attorney General Ana Matilde Gomez: "I hope that the prosecutor is aware of and consistent with the procedural steps he has taken and intends to take warrants, in order to keep Mr. Balladares present in the process.
"Every prosecutor must ensure that their measures are not illusory. Each prosecutor is responsible for making a risk assessment procedure for each of the people in the process, " she added.
The continuation of the questioning of Balladares is scheduled for January 15.
Earlier, an attorney for the former ruler, Wilhelmina McDonald, had said her client had not been investigated.