[JURIST] The Supreme Court of Panama [official website, in Spanish] voted Wednesday to open a corruption probe against former president Ricardo Martinelli. All nine judges of the court voted to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate allegations of Martinelli inflating contracts. Allegations are based on testimony by former head of the National Assistance Program Giacomo Tamburelli, who said he was taking orders to inflate contracts from then president Martinelli. Martinelli denies the charges and claims to be a victim of political persecution by his successor Juan Carlos Varela.

In October Panama officials suspended Alejandro Moncada [JURIST report], a justice of the Supreme Court, over corruption charges and accusations that he profited from his ties with Martinelli. Moncada denied any wrongdoing and also claimed to be a victim of Martinelli’s political foe and successor Varela. Voters elected Martinelli president in May 2009 national elections, which were “considered generally free and fair by independent observers” according to a 2010 US Department of State [official website] Human Rights report [text]. However, local elections have been marred by controversy. Human Rights Everywhere [advocacy website], a non profit organization, described the elections in the Ngobe-Bugle community as “confusing” and ill-timed.