Noriega’s House Arrest Stalled

The ex-dictator Manuel Antonio Noriega was close reaching his goal of provisional house arrest preceding an upcoming surgery, until the ruling took a turn.

After receiving ruling from the Criminal Chamber of Supreme Court Justice (CSJ) on January 25th approving Noriega’s release on house arrest, the Director of the Penitentiary System of the Ministry of Government (Mingob) notified that the measure could not be put into action immediately.

This is because Noriega serves two sentences, for the murders of Hugo Spadafora and Moises Giroldi in the El Renacer prison. These sentences mean that the
the Directorate of the Penitentiary System must receive notification of the decision of the Judge of Compliance of the Judicial Branch, before proceeding with the provisional home detention measure in favor of Noriega, according to Mingob.

Noriega's lawyers asked for home detention prior to him undergoing surgery. The ruling of the Criminal Chamber states that the householder's arrest must be given " three weeks before the surgery, in order to properly cleanse the lungs required for the procedure ."

" If within two months of Mr. Manuel Antonio Noriega being in house arrest the operation has not been carried out, the measure will cease and will have to return to the prison ", adds the ruling.