---
title: "Supreme Court Upholds Martinelli Conviction in New Business Case"
date: 2026-04-22
author: ""
url: https://panamadaily.news/new-business-case-martinelli-conviction-upheld/
categories:
  - "Crime"
  - "News"
  - "Politics"
tags:
  - "Baloisa Marquínez"
  - "money laundering"
  - "New Business case"
  - "Panama judiciary"
  - "Ricardo Martinelli"
  - "Supreme Court of Justice"
---

# Supreme Court Upholds Martinelli Conviction in New Business Case

## What Happened

Panama’s Supreme Court of Justice has ruled that neither the interrogation order nor the conviction against former president Ricardo Martinelli Berrocal in the New Business case is unconstitutional. The decision leaves in place the ruling that found him guilty of money laundering in one of the country’s most high-profile corruption cases.

The ruling was made public through Edict 560, issued on April 22 and signed by magistrate Olmedo Arrocha, who served as rapporteur for three constitutional challenges filed against the case.

## The Conviction at the Center of the Case

Martinelli, who governed Panama from 2009 to 2014, was sentenced in July 2023 by the Second Liquidating Criminal Court, then presided over by Judge Baloisa Marquínez. The sentence imposed 128 months in prison, a $19.2 million fine, and a ban on holding public office.

The interrogation order challenged in the constitutional actions had been issued by special organized-crime prosecutor Emeldo Márquez. The conviction itself also covered four other defendants: Daniel Ochy, Janeth Vásquez, Valentín Martínez and Iván Arrocha.

## Why the Ruling Matters

The constitutional challenges were among the last legal maneuvers available to Martinelli’s defense to try to overturn the money-laundering conviction. By rejecting those claims, the Supreme Court reinforced the validity of both the criminal investigation and the judgment issued in the case.

The New Business case has remained a defining test of Panama’s judicial handling of corruption and financial crime involving senior political figures. The latest ruling strengthens the legal weight of the original conviction and keeps the penalty in force.

## Martinelli’s Current Position

Martinelli traveled to Colombia on May 10, 2025, after leaving the Embassy of Panama in Nicaragua, where he had remained since February 7, 2024. His legal status continues to draw close public attention because of the scale of the sentence and the political profile of the former president.

The Supreme Court’s decision adds another chapter to a case that has moved through multiple judicial stages and remains one of the most significant corruption proceedings in modern Panamanian politics.