Martinelli brothers’ parliamentary candidacy could take Odebrecht case to Panama’s Supreme Court

The Central American Parliament (Parlacen) is reviewing a request from two sons of former Panamanian President, Ricardo Martinelli.

Ricardo Alberto and Luis Enrique Martinelli, who won positions as substitute deputies in Panama’s general elections of May 2019, seek to assume these roles.

If granted, ongoing money laundering investigations related to the Odebrecht case they face in Panama would shift from ordinary justice to be managed by the country’s Supreme Court.

Panamanian law mandates that legislators can only be prosecuted by the full body of the Supreme Court of Justice, and in turn, these justices can only be judged by the Parliament.

Parlacen’s president, Amado Cerrud, mentioned that the Martinelli brothers’ application had been forwarded to the parliament’s Legal Commission based in Guatemala for evaluation.

The timeframe for this assessment remains unspecified.

Deputy Amilcar Pop, a Guatemalan representative in Parlacen, indicated that the Martinellis had met all legal requirements to assume their roles as substitute deputies.

Yet, the timing and location for this ceremony, possibly in Panama, are undetermined.

The Martinelli brothers, alongside their father, are among several implicated in the Odebrecht money laundering case in Panama.

The trial, initially scheduled for August, has been deferred to September.

Both brothers previously served time in the U.S. after admitting involvement in bribe payments orchestrated by Odebrecht, totaling 28 million dollars, allegedly under their father’s instruction.

Legal expert, Ernesto Cedeño, highlighted that if the brothers are sworn in as deputies, there would be a procedural break, meaning they would be prosecuted by the full panel of Panama’s Supreme Court judges.

The process for other implicated individuals would continue under ordinary justice.

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