Hearing begins in Panama on alleged Odebrecht corruption case

The first hearing in the case of the alleged payment of millions of dollars in bribes by Brazilian construction company Odebrecht in the awarding of public contracts in Panama took place today, Monday, at the Supreme Court in the Panamanian capital.

Forty-nine defendants have been linked to the trial, which involves the probable payment of more than US$50 million for favoring the construction company’s bids.

According to the Prosecutor General’s Office, former Panamanian presidents Ricardo Martinelli (2009-2014) and Juan Carlos Varela (2014-2019), as well as several former ministers, are among those linked to the trial.

Money laundering and corruption of public officials are the crimes considered in this trial.

Luis Enrique Martinelli Linares and Ricardo Alberto Martinelli Linares, sons of former President Martinelli, were sentenced last May in a federal court in New York to 36 months in prison and two years of probation after pleading guilty to laundering US$28 million in connection with the payment of bribes from Odebrecht, were mentioned in connection with the money laundering.

At the beginning of the hearing, several motions were made by defense attorneys who cited the alleged inability of Judge Baloisa Marquínez to preside over the hearing, as she had previously been excluded from participating and presented other reasons.

After answering the questions, the judge concluded that there were no reasons to interrupt the hearing and gave way to reading the prosecution’s plea.

During the reading, it was reported that the Seventh Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office has been investigating possible crimes against the public administration arising from a complaint about the alleged payment of bribes to public officials in connection with the Odebtecht company ann connection with the likely – creation of Panamanian companies through which – it is suspected – black money was transferred.

It was added that through an act of 2016, a request to reopen the case by the prosecutor’s office was granted in light of new evidence.

Then it was highlighted that a dossier was also opened, resulting from a dossier signed by prosecutor Vielka Broce, in which it is described that Odebrecht allegedly paid bribes of US59 million to senior Panamanian officials so that the state would sign contracts with this company.

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