[JURIST] The Panama Electoral Tribunal [official website, in Spanish] said Wednesday that former president Ricardo Martinelli [JURIST news archive] will no longer be immune from prosecution, which allows investigations of corruption charges from Martinelli’s time in office to begin. The Panama Supreme Court [official website, in Spanish] had requested [AP report] the lifting of immunity after unanimously voting [JURIST report] in January to appoint a special prosecutor and begin the corruption probe. The court will investigate Martinelli for suspected crimes against public administration [Reuters report]. The supermarket magnate allegedly inflated contracts worth millions of dollars to purchase food for a government social program. Martinelli has not been in Panama since the court announced its investigation.

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 State Department [official website] human rights report [text]. However, local elections have been marred by controversy. Human Rights Everywhere [advocacy website, in Spanish], a non profit organization, described the elections in the Ngobe-Bugle community as “confusing” and ill-timed. Martinelli governed Panama until 2014.