Carrizo defense withdraws from hearing, citing time limits

The legal defense for former Panamanian Vice President José Gabriel Carrizo has withdrawn from a crucial hearing concerning the modification of precautionary measures against him. The decision stemmed from the court's imposition of a strict ten-minute limit for the defense to present its arguments, a timeframe they deemed insufficient for a case involving extensive documentation.

Víctor Orobio, Carrizo's legal representative, denounced the time restriction, highlighting that the case file includes a Comptroller's report exceeding 3,000 pages and a private report of over 2,000 pages, alongside approximately 35 volumes of case records. "Criminal law is not a mathematical formula, it's not two plus two," Orobio stated, emphasizing that previous favorable rulings were obtained when the defense was allowed adequate time to present its case. "Ten minutes is too short. For us, it represented great defenselessness for our clients."

Motivated by the perceived violation of their clients' right to defense, the legal team decided to withdraw. Orobio insisted on the fundamental right to defense for any investigated individual within the judicial system. "This legal team will never allow our right to defense to be violated," he affirmed. Fellow defense lawyer Pedro Meilán echoed these sentiments, noting that sufficient time has historically led to positive outcomes for their arguments. The defense team is now preparing to re-request the hearing, advocating for a more reasonable 25 minutes per side, and is awaiting the formal accusation from the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office. Carrizo remains under house arrest as the investigation into alleged unjustified enrichment continues.