Martinelli Sons trial in USA & return to Panama

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Time running out for Martinelli sons

Posted 24/09/2021

Guatemala’s Public Ministry has rejected Panama’s request for the extradition of Ricardo Alberto and Luis Enrique Martinelli Linares, which Panama presented in August.

The Panama petition was rejected, without holding a hearing, because the United States got there first and Guatemalan law dictates that the first request received,, must be resolved, and  Guatemala doesn’t have an extradition treaty with Panama.

Panama's request came a year after the United States required Guatemala to capture and deliver the children of former President Ricardo Martinelli. The arrest took place on July 6, 2020 at La Aurora airport and since then they have remained in the Mariscal Zavala military prison, from where they have presented several legal appeals.

Panama’s Third Criminal Settlement Court , headed by Baloisa Marquínez wants the Martinelli Linares brothers in Panama to answer for bribes paid by state contractors to Panamanian officials ( Blue Apple case ). The court has yet to decide whether to call 51 people to trial, for alleged money laundering.

On August 9,  Judge Marquínez sent to the Panamanian Foreign Ministry a request for preventive detention for the extradition of the “citizens” Martinelli Linares.

Delivery imminent
Although Panama's request was formally received, the Secretary-General of the Guatemalan Attorney General, Ángel Pineda, announced since August 30 that delivery to the United States was imminent.

"We know that it is in the final phase to issue the corresponding resolution for extradition," he said.

Recently, the First Court of Appeals of the Criminal Branch of Guatemala ruled against appeals filed by the legal defense of Luis Enrique Martinelli Linares, which would give the final green light to move forward with the delivery to the United States. Meanwhile, the case of his brother, Ricardo Alberto, would continue to be suspended pending the resolution of two appeals.

The United States requested the capture and extradition of the children of former President Martinelli for the alleged commission of various crimes related to money laundering, before the Eastern District Court of New York.

 

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/time-running-out-for-martinelli-sons

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Son of Martinelli awaiting plane ticket to face US trial

Posted 14/10/2021

On Wednesday, October 13, 2021, the file of Luis Enrique Martinelli Linares,  delivered to the US Embassy in Guatemala  by The Foreign Ministry of Guatemala  formally authorizing , his extradition to the United States to face money laundering   charges

The document was awaiting corrections by the competent courts, to be delivered to the diplomatic headquarters and was the only protocol that was missing.

The information was confirmed by journalist Sergio Osegueda, from Canal Antigua .

Now it is up to the United States Embassy to make the arrangements and reserve the flight that will transport the son of former president Ricardo Martinelli, from the Mariscal Zavala Military Center, where he is detained with his brother Ricardo Alberto Martinelli Linares.

The two sons of the former President were captured on July 6, 2020, at the request of the United States, where they are required in the Eastern District Court of New York. for the alleged commission of various crimes related to money laundering,

From the moment the date and flight number are confirmed, the Martinelli Linares brothers will separate their paths, since while one will be in the United States, the other will remain in prison in Guatemala.

The extradition process of Ricardo Alberto is still pending resolution in the Third Court of Criminal Sentencing, Drug Trafficking, and Crimes against the Environment.

 

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/son-of-martinelli-awaiting-plane-ticket-to-face-us-trial

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Martinelli’s offspring to debut as singers?

Potential songbirds

Posted 23/10/2021

As Rubén Blade's song says, in the coming days or weeks, Ricardo Martinelli Berrocal's children –Luis Enrique and Ricardo Alberto Martinelli Linares– will have to make Decisions —and transcendental ones—, in which there are no winners and yes much to lose. Luis Enrique will be brought before federal prosecutors for the Eastern District of New York, where he and his brother are indicted for alleged conspiracy to launder money and other crimes.

Let's refresh the memory. At the end of 2016, the United States Department of Justice revealed its investigation into Odebrecht, a company that used its banking system to funnel hundreds of millions of dollars to pay bribes to hundreds of politicians across the continent.

In the case of Panama, the Department of Justice said that between 2009 and 2012, Odebrecht agreed to pay $26 million "to two close relatives of a senior Panamanian official " in relation to public infrastructure projects, on the understanding that, in exchange, the official would guarantee the contract to Odebrecht.

Investigations in the US also found that payments were made to a Panamanian official, whose name has not been released, by order of a federal judge. However, documents in the US describe him as " an official with a very high position in the government of Panama between 2009 and 2014" and a "close relative " of the two defendants (Luis Enrique and Ricardo Alberto). That period belongs to the Martinelli Berrocal administration. Obviously, 2 + 2 is not 3 nor is it 5. It is simply 4.

Let's go back to the decisions that the Martinelli brothers must make. The thing is whether or not they decide to cooperate with US federal prosecutors. If they decide not to cooperate, then there will be nothing more to discuss, but to serve their sentence in silence if they are found guilty at trial.

Their father also made a decision: “It fills me with great joy and satisfaction that this is over soon, because one has to show one's face. When you don't owe it, you don't fear it,” he said. He added that his children "are going to have to go to the US to prove [their innocence] there." In other words, let them go and show their faces. I stay ... The brave father is right: "he who does not owe it, does not fear it."

There are signs that lead us to think - but not to conclude - that they may decide to cooperate. Before leaving the United States last year, the brothers met several times with an FBI agent, according to the affidavit (affidavit) that FBI Special Agent Michael Lewandowski delivered to the Eastern District Court of New York.

But this is a new scenario. The brothers must decide whether to expose that "high position in the government of Panama between 2009 and 2014" or if they serve their sentence. Their father has bet everything on nothing on their silence. But what if they decide to debut as singers?  - Rolando Rodriguez B. La Prensa,

Rolando Rodríguez B.

Associate Director and Editor of the Research Unit.

 

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/martinellis-offspring-to-debut-as-singers

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Son of Martinelli throws in the towel

Posted 25/10/2021

Given the imminent extradition of his brother Luis Enrique, Ricardo Alberto Martinelli Linares has withdrawn the appeals he presented to prevent his delivery to the United States, where both are required for various crimes related to money laundering reports La Prensa.

"Because it suits my interests and having made the decision to submit to the extradition process passively, voluntarily and spontaneously, I request to desist from the constitutional action for Amparo," he stated in the withdrawal brief filed with the Guatemala Supreme Court

Denis Cuesy, lawyer for the Martinelli Linares, said that Ricardo Alberto made the decision to withdraw all the appeals that he had presented and that he is now waiting for the file to be transferred to the Fifth Court of Criminal Sentencing, Drug Trafficking and Environmental Crimes, which must certify the formal delivery to the United States.

This procedure has already been carried out in the Luis Enrique extradition process, which is settled in another court, , which already declared the delivery to the United States to be admissible, on April 25. The decision was ratified on June 21, by the First Chamber of the Court of Appeals.

Luis Enrique remains in the Mariscal Zavala military prison, like his brother, only waiting for the US embassy in Guatemala to indicate which day he will travel to the United States.

Ricardo Alberto would remain in the military prison since although he has withdrawn his resources, it is unlikely that he will be able to travel on the same flight or on the same date as his brother.

“When they give up extradition appeals, they always take time to resolve. In the case of an alleged Guatemalan drug trafficker [Haroldo Lorenzana], the withdrawal occurred in January and the hearing lasted until May, ”said Rony Rodríguez, from El Periódico de Guatemala.

 

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/son-of-martinelli-throws-in-the-towel

 

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New York prosecutor moves to seize money of Martinelli sons

Posted 01/11/2021

The New York prosecutor’s office has asked a federal judge to seize assets of Ricardo Alberto and Luis Enrique Martinelli Linares , nine months after presenting the formal accusation against both, for alleged crimes related to money laundering.

In a note presented on October 29, prosecutor Breon Peace identified two amounts that would be subject to seizure: one for $697,458.75, "plus accrued interest" and any other product of that sum. traceable, indicating that it could be bank accounts; another for a million dollars and all their products are traceable.

The seizure of these assets has been linked to charges numbered 1 to 5, in the indictment filed against the children of former President Ricardo Martinelli l (2009-2014), on February 6.

In this case, the United States requested Guatemala to arrest and extradite Ricardo Alberto and Luis Enrique. Both were captured on July 6, 2020, and since then, they remain in a military prison, waiting for the delivery process to be completed.

In February, prosecutors for the Eastern District of New York brought three charges against the brothers: one for allegedly conspiring to launder money, and two more for hiding information about money laundering.

Luis Enrique faces two additional charges, for the alleged use of money obtained through money laundering.

In that indictment, the prosecutors noted that, if they are finally convicted, the assets linked to the charges for which they are accused could be confiscated.

The indictment against the Martinelli Linares is based on events allegedly committed between August 2009 and September 2015, largely coinciding with the presidential mandate of their father, and includes at least four suspicious transactions.

For example, the prosecution details two transactions, on November 12 and December 10, 2013, for $899,978.32 and $30,887.21, respectively, made from a financial institution located in Switzerland to a bank in New York.

The indictment also mentions two transfers linked to Luis Enrique: one, on February 11, 2013, for $346,500, and another, on August 26, 2015, for approximately $570,000 both made from a Swiss bank to a bank in New York, and from there - finally - to accounts in New Jersey and Florida, respectively.

 

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/new-york-prosecutor-moves-to-seize-money-of-martinelli-sons

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Martinelli’s eldest son moves closer to extradition to USA

Posted 05/11/2021

Ricardo Alberto Martinelli Linares will have a hearing on Monday, November 8, to learn the charges for which he is being requested in extradition by the United States.

The hearing was communicated on Friday, by the Third Court of Criminal Sentencing, Drug Trafficking, and Crimes against the Environment. The extradition process of his brother Luis Enrique is being settled in another court, is much more advanced and only requires that the date of his delivery to the United States be set.

The two sons of former President Ricardo Martinelli  (2009-2014) are required to face trial for various crimes related to money laundering. The indictment was filed in the Eastern District Court of New York.

In September, given the imminent extradition of Luis Enrique, Ricardo Alberto withdrew the appeals he presented in Guatemala - where they have been detained since July 6, 2020 - to prevent his extradition.

"Because it suits my interests and having made the decision to passively, voluntarily, and spontaneously submit to the extradition process, I request to desist from the constitutional action for Amparo," said Ricardo Alberto Martinelli Linares, in the brief of Withdrawal, submitted to the Supreme Court of Guatemala.

At the hearing next Monday, in the Fifth Court (which is the instance that must certify whether or not the extradition proceeds), the detainee will be informed of the charges that support the United States extradition request and his willingness to submit or not to the process.

In the case of Luis Enrique, this procedure has already been carried out and, on May 25, 2021, the Third Court of Criminal Sentencing, Drug Trafficking, and Crimes against the Environment declared the delivery to the United States admissible. The decision was ratified on June 21, by the First Chamber of the Court of Appeals

The two sons of the former president remain in the Mariscal Zavala military prison. Luis Enrique is only waiting for the US embassy in Guatemala to indicate which day he will travel to the United States.

On Thursday, November 4, 2021, immigration service agents visited Luis Enrique in the prison to photograph him. His brother was with him, but he did not participate in any diligence.

 

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/martinellis-eldest-son-moves-closer-to-extradition-to-usa

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Guatemalan court orders son of Ricardo Martinelli extradited to the United States

Posted 08/11/2021

While his father, former president Ricardo Martinelli was in a Panama court listening  to  the prosecution’s closing argument in his illegal wiretapping  trial his eldest son Ricardo Martinelli Linares was in a Guatemalan court which ordered  his extradition to the United States to face a money-laundering trial alongside his brother Luis Enrique

During the hearing on Monday,  November 8 Martinelli Linares who arrived under heavy escort using a cane presented a memorandum in which he agrees to be extradited as soon as possible to the United States on a voluntary basis; and not to present any further recourse against this extradition. The Third Criminal Sentencing Court of Guatemala accepted and ordered the extradition of Martinelli Linares to the United States.

The Court also accepted the request of the Prosecutor's Office to seize two Apple cell phones that he had at the time of his arrest in June 2020, at the Aurora Airport. Upon leaving the court, Martinelli Linares spoke with his lawyers but refused to speak to the media.

Meanwhile, his brother Luis Enrique Martinelli Linares awaits a date to be extradited to New York and face in court the multiple charges related to the alleged laundering of $28 million, the product of bribes from Odebrecht to Panama.

The Martinelli brothers will remain detained in the Mariscal Zavala military prison, where they have been detained since June 2020, until the date for their surrender to the United States is set. 

 

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/guatemalan-court-orders-son-of-ricardo-martinelli-extradited-to-the-united-states-1

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Martinelli's son will be extradited to US next week

Luis Enrique Linares has a one-way ticket to the United States.

Posted 09/11/2021

Luis Enrique  Linares the youngest of the two sons of former President Ricardo Martinelli (2009-2014) will be extradited from Guatemala to the United States on Monday, November 15 to face money-laundering charges.

His brother Ricardo Alberto Linares wanted on similar charges has yet to be given a date for his transfer

Ricardo Alberto and Luis Enrique face charges for the alleged conspiracy to launder bribes paid by Oderbrecht to Panamanian officials and politicians, through shell companies and bank accounts in the United States. The indictment is in the Eastern District Court of New York.

The two sons of the former president have been in the Mariscal Zavala military prison, after their capture, on July 6, 2020, at the La Aurora airport, when they were preparing to board a private flight to Panama.

The extradition of Luis Enrique was certified by the Fifth Court of Criminal Sentencing, Drug Trafficking, and Crimes against the Environment, in  May and ratified by the Court of Appeals in June. Ricardo Alberto's, meanwhile, was certified on November 8, in another court (the Third Criminal Sentencing, Drug Trafficking, and Crimes against the Environment), during a hearing in which he requested to be handed over to the United States "as soon as possible ”.

In New York, the brothers face three charges: one for allegedly conspiring to launder money, and two for withholding information on money laundering, for acts allegedly committed between August 2009 and September 2015, which coincides with the presidential term of their father.

Luis Enrique faces two additional charges, for the alleged use of money obtained through money laundering.

The indictment says that the Martinelli Linares brothers participated in the receipt and payment of bribes for $28 million.

In Panama, the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office in the Odebrecht case also asked to prosecute the former president and his two children. The preliminary hearing will be held in July 2022.

 

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/martinelliamp039s-son-will-be-extradited-to-us-next-week-1

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Younger son of ex-president Martinelli extradited to US Monday

Posted 12/11/2021

Luis Enrique Linares, the youngest son of ex-president Ricardo Martinelli detained in Guatemala since July 6, 2020, will be extradited to the United States on a charter flight, at 12 noon on Monday, November 15.

He will move from the VIP wing of a Guatemalan military prison where he enjoyed many privileges to a cell in New York to face money laundering charges.

It is still unknown when Ricardo Alberto Martinelli Linares, the other son of the former President,  will be extradited  He is also detained in Guatemala and accused of alleged crimes of conspiracy to launder the bribes that Odebrecht gave to Panamanian officials and politicians.

According to the indictment filed in a Court of the Eastern District of New York, the Martinelli Linares brothers laundered the funds through shell companies and bank accounts in the United States.

 

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/younger-son-of-ex-president-martinelli-extradited-to-us-monday

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Sons of Ricardo Martinelli to face US justice

Posted 15/11/2021

A charter flight will today carry Luis Enrique Martinelli Linares,  accompanied by agents of the US Marshals Services, from his prison in Guatemala where he has received VIP  treatment to an un-named jail in New York to face trial on money-laundering charges

 The son of former President Ricardo Martinelli will soon be joined by his brother Ricardo Alberto Linares who faces similar charges.

The two sons of the former governor have been detained in Mariscal Zavala Military Prison after their capture, on July 6, 2020 at La Aurora airport, as they were preparing to board a private flight to Panama.

The extradition of Luis Enrique Martinelli was approved by the Fifth Court of Criminal Sentencing, Drug Trafficking and Crimes against the Environment of Guatemala last May, and then ratified by the Court of Appeals in June.

The process of Ricardo Alberto Martinelli Linares came to an end when last week he made public his decision to acquiesce in the extradition process, desisting from all legal remedies presented to the Guatemalan authorities.

There is still no date for his extradition but it is estimated that with the withdrawal of the appeals and the acceptance of his transfer, it will be set quickly.

Both are accused of conspiracy to launder the bribes that Odebrecht gave to Panamanian officials and politicians to obtain public infrastructure contracts during the government of their father, Ricardo Martinelli.

In Panama, both face a process for money laundering, also related to Odebrecht reports La Prensa.

The Third Criminal Liquidation Court set the preliminary hearing for this case for July 18, 2022.

They also appear in the money laundering process, through the Blue Apple company, allegedly used as a "basket" for the deposit of bribes for the concession of projects.

On August 10, the third judge who settled the criminal case, Baloisa Marquínez, accepted the 30-day term to decide whether to accept the accusation presented by the Public Ministry of calling 54 people to trial for money laundering crimes, but it has not yet made its decision known.

 

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/sons-of-ricardo-martinelli-to-face-us-justice-1

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Martinelli’s son “significant risk” of escape - New York prosecutor

Luis Martinelli Linares, handcuffed before his flight to face justice in New York.

Posted 16/11/2021

Luis Martinelli Linares, the son of former Panama president Ricardo Martinelli poses a “significant risk” of escape said the prosecutor's office for the Eastern District of New York when requesting a federal judge to order his permanent arrest after his extradition from Guatemala on  Monday, November 15.

"The defendant presents a substantial and proven flight risk, and must be detained," says a note delivered by prosecutor Alixandra Smith signed by attorneys from the United States Department of Justice.

The note was delivered to Magistrate Judge Marcia M. Henry, shortly before the defendant's arrival on US soil at 6:25 pm.

It is not yet known when Martinelli Linares will be taken before federal judge Raymond Dearie to hear the indictment formally presented against him, last February, for allegedly participating in a plot to launder bribes paid by Odebrecht reports La Prensa.

The note states that Martinelli Linares, advised by an American lawyer, had agreed to a plea agreement to resolve his procedural situation, but approximately on June 25, 2020, when the negotiation was in the final stretch and without notifying the authorities, he evaded border controls and fled in a boat to the Bahamas. The other son of the former president also participated in the plea agreement.

The note said that once in the Bahamas, the brothers, and, the wife and daughters of Luis Enrique, boarded a private jet with the intention of returning to Panama, but given the restrictions at that time, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, there was a change in plans and the plane had to land first in Costa Rica and then in El Salvador. After a few days, unable to fly to Panama, the two brothers headed to the border with Guatemala they “circumvented” the restriction using diplomatic credentials “that falsely accredited them as officials of the Central American Parliament” (Parlacen). Luis Enrique's wife and daughters stayed in a hotel in El Salvador. The two brothers were captured on July 6, 2020, when they were preparing to take a private plane to Panama.

Since then and until his extradition, Luis Enrique was detained in the Mariscal Zavala military prison, where his brother remains, waiting for the US embassy in Guatemala to define the date of his transfer

Prosecutor Smith supports the need to maintain the detention of Luis Enrique in the fact that, during the last 15 months, the defendant presented multiple appeals in different instances in Guatemala, to avoid his surrender to the US.

The prosecutor maintains that the requested preventive detention is consistent with the seriousness of the crimes attributed to him and the amount of evidence accumulated against him. She adds that Luis Enrique Martinelli is well aware of the accusation and the evidence against him, given that the negotiation to reach a plea deal was almost complete when he evaded the US authorities in June 2020.

Fled without warning
“Only two days after the government communicated to his lawyer about some final terms of his agreement, Luis Martinelli, along with his family and brother , fled the United States, without warning, an effort that required boats , private planes and invalid diplomatic credentials, just to enter Panama where the Constitution prevents the extradition of its nationals.

It also emphasizes the dual nationality of the accused: Panamanian and Italian, and the family fortune, which allows him to have sufficient means to escape. It notes that the plane that was waiting for them in Guatemala, when he was captured on July 6, 2020, belongs to his family.

In the indictment presented to the Court on February 4, prosecutors brought three charges against the brothers: one for allegedly conspiring to launder money, and two more, for withholding information about money laundering. Luis Enrique faces two additional charges, for the alleged use of money obtained through money laundering.

The accusation is based on events allegedly committed between August 2009 and September 2015, largely coinciding with his father's presidential term.

Alixandra Smith is the same prosecutor who brought the case against Odebrecht which closed with an agreement,  in which the construction company pleaded guilty to violating the Law against Corrupt Practices and confessed to having paid almost $800 million in bribes to officials and politicians from various countries, including Panama.

It is from Odebrecht's confession that the New York prosecutors assemble the case against the Martinelli Linares brothers, each accused of participating in the scheme as intermediaries in the receipt and payment of approximately $28 million in bribes that would benefit “ former high-ranking member of the government of Panama ”. It is not specified who this "high-ranking" officer would be, but it added that he is a close relative of Ricardo Alberto and Luis Enrique.

 

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/martinellis-son-significant-risk-of-escape-new-york-prosecutor

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Judge rejects  $3 million “drop in the ocean" bail bid

Posted 17/11/2021

A US federal judge rejected a  $3-5 million bail proposal for Luis Enrique Martinelli Linares, who pleaded "not guilty" to the money laundering offenses in the Eastern District Court of New York on  Tuesday, November 16

Judge Marcia M. Henry, conducted an arraignment hearing after the extradition from Guatemala, of the son of former President Ricardo Martinelli who heard the five charges contained in the accusation filed against him on February 6, 2021.

The judge rejected the defense proposal to post a bond of $3 million or $5 million, as she considered it “is like a drop in the ocean", and was in favor of the position of the prosecution to keep the accused under arrest while the process develops but she agreed to consider another offer from the defense during a new hearing, on December 14.

Martinelli Linares' attorney, James G. McGovern, said he negotiates a plea deal under the presumption that his client could be recognized as part of the sentence for the 16 months he spent in a Guatemalan prison until extradition on Monday. He added that with the prosecution he had discussed a possible sentence of 20 months of which he would serve four.

Before the hearing was a letter from McGovern, lawyer for the brothers Luis Enrique and Ricardo Alberto Martinelli Linares, was presented to the judge, in which he announced the intention of his clients to plead guilty to the crime of conspiracy to launder money, as well as to deliver $19 million and assets related to the Odebrecht case 

McGovern delivered the note to the court on November 15, the same day that Luis Enrique Martinelli Linares arrived in New York from Guatemala.

In the document, McGovern states that “the forfeited assets include a considerable amount of funds held in Swiss banks that would have been exceptionally difficult to recover without the agreement of the Martinelli brothers to plead guilty and take affirmative action to facilitate access by the United States. to these funds ”.

The attorney stated said his clients "in anticipation of a possible plea deal, gave their separate consent for the release and transfer of almost $1.7 million in funds to the United States Government more than three months ago."

It cites the seizure that the prosecutor Breon Peace ordered on November 1, "of a total of $1,697 478, from the accounts of the brothers.

The McGovern letter - asks Henry to set a bond on Luis Enrique, at the same time that he proposed "a personal recognition bonus of $3 million, guaranteed by $1million from Mr. Martinelli."

McGovern mentioned that, in 2018, the Martinelli Linares sought a plea deal, but made the "mistake" of fleeing to try to reach Panama, where they are accused of alleged money laundering in several bribery cases, including Odebrecht a case in which their father is also prosecuted.

 

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/judge-rejects-3-million-drop-in-the-ocean-bail-bid

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Son of ex-president denied bail for second time

Posted 23/11/2021

Judge Raymond J. Dearie made the decision to reject bail for Luis Enrique Martinelli Linares the son of former president Ricardo Martinelli after an appeal hearing held on Tuesday, November 23.

For James McGovern, defense attorney for Martinelli Linares, the long cooperation of Luis Enrique Martinelli Linares with the United States Department of Justice must be taken into account.

" Perhaps some of this should be taken into account (...) This is a sophisticated game of chess to single out the anonymous person in the prosecution, " argued the defense attorney before Judge Dearie.

But, according to the judge, " the risk of flight is greater at the moment " and that is why he decided to reject the bail. In addition, the origin of the friendship of the people who will guarantee the bail of Martinelli Linares was questioned.

During the hearing, the US prosecutor's office once again insisted on the economic capacity and political power that the Martinelli Linares family wield.

" They have excessive economic resources, excessive political connections and Panama does not extradite its nationals (...) The case is not about having money, but about using it to influence, " said the prosecution.

Regarding the point of returning the passport and that was offered by the lawyer McGovern, the prosecution also opposed this argument and recalled that after the action of Luis Enrique Martinelli  Linares along with his brother Ricardo Alberto to obtain flight credentials for the Central American Parliament (Parlacen), it would not be difficult for them to get another passport.

Luis Enrique Martinelli Linares will face an audience on December 14. at 4:30 pm.

The first rejection 
In the first hearing that was held on November 16, Judge Marcia Henry took into account that the brothers Luis Alberto and Ricardo Alberto Martinelli Linares left the United States at the time they were negotiating agreements with the United States justice for the alleged case of laundering money related to Odebrecht's corruption scheme.

According to the US prosecutor's office, the Martinelli Linares brothers left the United States through a boat that took them to the Bahamas, and from there they took a private jet to Panama, however, it could not land on Panamanian soil because it did not have with the permits required at that time by the air transport control measures established by the pandemic.

The plane was finally able to reach El Salvador and from that country, both brothers took an Uber to the Guatemalan border, where they entered with a diplomatic passport. In that country, the US authorities located them and ordered their capture for extradition purposes.

 

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/son-of-ex-president-denied-bail-for-second-time

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Guatemala readies file for extradition of second Martinelli son

Posted 23/11/2021

The Guatemalan Foreign Ministry has received the extradition file of the son of former Panama president Ricardo Martinelli (2009-2014), Ricardo Alberto Martinelli Linares, and will proceed to transfer him to the US authorities diplomatic sources reported Tuesday.

The file was handed over to the Foreign Ministry by the Guatemalan Judicial Branch on November 18 after Martinelli Linares accepted his extradition to the US on November 8, where he is required for money laundering. The Foreign Ministry will send the file to the United States embassy, to coordinate the date of the extradition.

According to a source in the Foreign Ministry, this week the file could be transferred to the US embassy in and, according to experts, Martinelli Linares could be extradited in two or three weeks to join his brother, Luis Enrique who was extradited to the United States on November 15 on the same charges of money laundering.

 

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/guatemala-readies-file-for-extradition-of-second-martinelli-son

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Second son of former president Martinelli set for extradition to US

Posted 26/11/2021

Representatives of the United States Government went to the Mariscal Zavala prison in Guatemala on Friday, November 26 to take the photograph of Ricardo Alberto Martinelli Linares the youngest son of former president Ricardo Martinelli as a requirement for extradition.

The Third Criminal Sentencing Court of Guatemala approved the extradition of Ricardo Alberto Martinelli Linares to the United States, in a hearing held on November 8.

At the hearing, Martinelli Linares requested extradition, assuring that he would not file any type of appeal.

His brother Luis Enrique Martinelli Linares arrived in New York on November 15, after being extradited from Guatemala and remains in federal prison, after he was denied bail in two hearings.

The Martinelli Linares brothers face charges for alleged money laundering and for being intermediaries for alleged bribes from the   Odebrecht construction company.

 

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/second-son-of-former-president-martinelli-set-for-extradition-to-us

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Son of Martinelli pleads guilty to money laundering in NY court

Posted 02/12/2021

Luis Enrique Martinelli Linares, son of former president Ricardo Martinelli, pleaded guilty on Thursday, December 2, to having participated, with his brother Ricardo Alberto and "others", in a scheme to launder the bribes paid by Odebrecht, through US banks.

In a hearing held before Judge Raymond J. Dearie of the Eastern District Court of New York, Martinelli Linares pleaded guilty to one of the five charges against him, specifically one of conspiracy to launder money, and admitted that his 42-year-old brother Ricardo Alberto Martinelli Linares participated in the crime. Ricardo remains detained in Guatemala awaiting extradition to the United States.

The reading of the sentence will be on May 20, 2022, and, for now, Martinelli Linares, 39, will continue in the Brooklyn detention center, where he has been since November 15, when he was extradited from Guatemala.

Unnamed “High Official”
Judge Dearie validated a 13-page plea agreement filed by prosecutor Breon Peace and Martinelli Linares' defense attorney James McGovern, in which the defendant acknowledges that he and his brother served as intermediaries for the reception and payment of approximately $28 million in bribes between Odebrecht and a former "high-ranking official of the Panamanian government," who was a close relative of the defendants.

It has not been identified who that high "official" is, but the events occurred between August 2009 and January 2014, which corresponds to almost the entire presidential term of Ricardo Martinelli says La Prensa.

As part of the settlement, the defendant will return $19 million in assets and accounts, the majority of which was deposited in Switzerland.

The maximum sentence for conspiring to launder money is 20 years in prison, but the sentence would be less since there is a plea agreement. Judge Dearie warned that he will take into account the recommendations of the Bureau of Prisons and the Brooklyn prosecutor's office and that the sentence would not be greater than 151 months in prison (12 years and seven months).

Martinelli Linares' lawyer has asked that his client be recognized for the 16 months he was detained in Guatemala, awaiting extradition.

In Guatemala, Ricardo Alberto Martinelli Linares remains in custody,  accused of three of the five charges that are handed down to his brother, including the one for which he pleaded guilty,

The judge explained to Martinelli Linares that with the plea agreement he is renouncing his right to be tried by a jury of conscience and he cannot file an appeal unless the sentence is greater than 151 months in prison.

The other four charges in the indictment will be dismissed.

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/son-of-martinelli-pleads-guilty-to-money-laundering-in-ny-court

[Moderator_03]

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In search of  # 99

Luis Enrique Martinelli Linares

Posted 04/12/2021

This week, a federal judge validated a plea agreement presented by the prosecutor in the Odebrecht case in the United States and the defense of Luis Enrique Martinelli Linares. In that agreement - the content of which was not disclosed in its entirety - the confessed admits that he and his brother were intermediaries to receive $ 28 million in bribes between Odebrecht and a former "high-ranking official of the Panamanian government," a close relative of the defendants.

That mysterious person we know who he is. We know how he sings and dances, we know how and what he talks about, we know where he will never go, we know who he hates with all his being, we know who his friends are - even those he thinks are hidden; We know what he makes fun of, what he uses the silver for and where much of it comes from. We know that he was spying on everyone and that he will never cease to be what he is. The description is only missing the name, but I have no doubt who it is, and neither should everyone who has at least one finger in the forehead.

In a country where principles prevail, all of this would be enough to end a political career, whatever it may be, but in Panama, not even confessing the crime does not lead to jail ... or lose in an election. And why does something like this happen? The answer is simple. You just have to see how the Public Ministry is dismantled to strip it of the authority to represent the Panamanian people and, instead, give it to people to control the fate of high-profile investigations.

What will happen to these cases? If anyone has any doubts, I refer them to the past. There you will find answers that look like these: impunity, nothing happens, etc. There are theories that are gaining ground among political connoisseurs of why all this is happening. One includes several aspects: bedroom agreements; candidates with a chance of winning in 2024 who are dropped in exchange for favors they receive now; that the gears of the alliances began to move, etc. If so, once again, voters will be used as useful fools, spoils offered as bargaining chips, and stepping stones to power. Time will confirm or deny it.

Perhaps they are frustrated because they expect more for themselves: some direct contract, work, a ministry, travel, money, and other despicable privileges that come with the abuse of the position. But they must remember that in the life of their leader there are priorities and certainly their manzanillos is not one of them. We may sometimes learn more about his time in America and what he was willing to do in exchange for his release, but unfortunately, it didn't work out. However, what he was willing to do speaks volumes about what he does not care about.

Those who have made a pact with him run the risk of betrayal. And it wouldn't be the first time. But they, drunk with power, deliberately ignore history. Luis Enrique Martinelli Linares was instrumental in the bribery game; however, he is not the big shot. But, as I said, there are priorities and priorities, and he and his brother are not among the first. Maybe they are No. 100 and 101 because up to No. 99, they are all already taken. - Rolando Rodríguez B.  LA PRENSA

https://www.newsroompanama.com/opinion/in-search-of-99

[Moderator_03]

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Son of Martinelli extradited to United States

Posted 10/12/2021

Ricardo Alberto Martinelli  Linares,42,  was extradited to the United States on Friday, December 10,  to face money laundering charges 492 days after his capture in Guatemala.

With Martinelli Linares, were three other subjects requested for extradition by the United States, on drug trafficking charges, reported Canal Antigua and El Periódico de Guatemala.

They are Iram Mérida , alias El Dorado or El Bucéfalo, and the brothers Haroldo and Marta Julia Lorenzana Cordón.

The flight plan included a stop in the Bahamas.

Shortly before 6:00 am, Martinelli Linares was transferred from the Mariscal Zavala military base (where he has been detained since his capture, on July 6, 2020), to the Guatemalan Air Force base.

t is the same journey that his brother Luis Enrique traveled on November 15, when he was handed over to the United States, where both are wanted for conspiracy to launder the bribes that Odebrecht paid to Panamanian officials and politicians.

On December 2, Luis Enrique confessed that, together with his brother and "others", he participated in a structure to launder $ 28 million in bribes from Odebrecht, to benefit "a high official of the Panamanian government." The accusation, which is being processed in the Eastern District Court of New York (Brooklyn), does not specify the name of that "high official", but does mention that he is a "close relative" of the children of former President Ricardo Martinelli Berrocal .

Luis Enrique is being held in a Brooklyn jail, without the right to bail. Ricardo Alberto would also enter this prison, once he arrives in New York

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/son-of-martinelli-extradited-to-united-states

[Moderator_03]

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"Overwheming

Posted 11/12/2021

 Despite the fact that there is a plea agreement (not yet validated before a federal judge), the Brooklyn prosecutor's office requested that Ricardo Alberto Martinelli Linares - who was extradited from Guatemala on Friday- remain in detention, considering that there is a risk of flight.

"The evidence in this case is overwhelming," said prosecutor Alixandra Smith in a note to Judge Robert Levy, presented on December 10, shortly after Martinelli Linares' attorney requested, in writing, that the accused be released. on bail. The defense backed his request with a bail proposal of $4.5 million and attached a copy of the plea agreement in which his client agrees to have participated in a scheme to launder up to $28 million in bribes from Odebrecht, for the benefit of " a high official of the Panamanian Government ”, between August 2009 and September 2015, a period that includes the entire presidential term of Ricardo Martinelli  (2009-2014).

The identity of this "high official" has been kept secret and it is only known that he is a "close relative" of Martinelli Linares and the other accused of this plot, his brother Luis Enrique, who has already pleaded guilty and has been detained in Brooklyn since on November 15, without bail.

Prosecutor Smith, in her 11-page note to Judge Levy, points out that additional information about this "official of the Panamanian government" was already provided in a sealed document, presented on November 15. It also indicates that in the period that Odebrecht paid the bribes to the close relative of the two defendants, the construction company obtained multi-million-dollar public infrastructure contracts, "including a project that was a campaign promise from the Panamanian government official."

The AFP agency quoted an official from the prosecution, who reported that on Saturday, November 11, Martinelli Linares will and , on December 14, he will have a hearing to validate the plea agreement, with Judge Raymond Dearie.

Prosecutor Smith's arguments to oppose the bail of Ricardo Alberto are similar to those that she used against the possible release of Luis Enrique: the seriousness of the charges; proven risk of leakage; access to economic resources and private aircraft; political connections; dual Panamanian and Italian nationality, with the aggravation that Panama does not extradite its nationals; lack of roots in the United States, and that both escaped in June 2020, when they were already negotiating plea agreements with the Department of Justice and the FBI.

Political influence
In the note presented by the defendant's lawyer, he maintains that Ricardo Alberto does not want to return to Panama, because he has open processes and it is convenient for him to remain in the United States, in order to obtain "protection from a double trial”. The prosecutor disagrees with this statement since the accused still has a strong political influence over the current government and the proof of this is that last year he had "convinced" the Minister of Health (it is not clear if he refers to Rosario Turner or the current one, Luis Francisco Sucre) to authorize the entry into the country of his brother Luis Enrique,  circumventing the sanitary restrictions that at that time only allowed the entry of humanitarian flights, due to the pandemic. Those same political connections are what helped him get "invalid" credentials that accredited them as members of Parlacen.

Regarding the flight from the United States, the documents describe that both escaped on a yacht that took them to the Bahamas, with Luis Enrique's wife and daughters. On the island, they boarded a private plane bound for Panama, but the plane could not land given entry restrictions at that time. The plane finally arrived in in Costa Rica and from there it went, later, to El Salvador. In El Salvador, Luis Enrique's family stayed in a hotel and he and his brother used Uber to get to the Guatemalan border. They used their Parlacen credentials to finally enter that country. On July 6, 2020, they were captured at La Aurora airport,  when they were about to board the family plane, bound for Panama.

Prosecutor Smith maintains that there is sufficient evidence against Ricardo Alberto: bank records of foreign and US banks; documents that prove that Luis Enrique used the bribe to buy a yacht and an apartment in Miami; Emails from Odebrecht executives who corroborate the scheme used to launder, and testimonial statements from former employees and agents of the construction company.

"The government is also in possession of voluminous information obtained from the database of the Structured Operations Division, " which was then used by Odebrecht to pay bribes. These emails, bank statements, and statements indicate that shell companies and bank accounts were used to handle the illegal payments.

The prosecutor also replies that the extradition of Ricardo Alberto was not "voluntary", as he alleges: for more than a year, he presented appeals to prevent his surrender to the United States, and acquiesced in the procedure, only after the Guatemalan courts endorsed the extradition of Luis Enrique.

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/overwhelming-evidence-against-martinelli-bros-ny-prosecutor-1

[Moderator_03]

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OPINION: A rotten smell in the Public Ministry

Javier Caraballo

Posted 11/12/2021

It is very difficult to give credit to the Attorney General (in charge), Javier Caraballo, when last Thursday he stated that "until now we have little information" about the process that is being carried out in New York for the Odebrecht case, in which The two sons of former President Martinelli have admitted to receiving bribes from the construction company. Caraballo may not be aware of the evidence accumulated in the case file in Panama, but to say that he handles "little" information is enormously awkward and says a lot about how little he has been interested in this case. To begin with, the prosecutor in charge of the process was sent on vacation last June. Each time you return to duty, you are notified that your vacation has been extended for another month. If Caraballo needs to know about the case, the prosecutor has already rested six months and can bring her back, but chose to speculate with the information. The signs are clear, let's not fool ourselves. Something smells rotten in the Public Ministry with this file and we are not surprised that the famous non-aggression pact between this government and one of the accused ends up including this case. And, once again, Panama will make an international fool of itself – LA PRENSA, Dec.11.

https://www.newsroompanama.com/opinion/opinion-a-rotten-smell-in-the-public-ministry-1

[Moderator_03]

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NY judge denies bail to second Martinelli son

FORMER president Ricardo Martinelli and his two sons in happier times.

Posted 12/12/2021

Robert Levy, judge for the Eastern District of New York denied the $4.5 bail million offered by Ricardo Alberto Martinelli Linares to obtain provisional freedom while the money laundering process related to bribes paid by Odebrecht advances. Ricardo Alberto Martinelli who was extradited from Guatemala on Friday, December 10, indicated through his lawyer Levy that he would plead guilty to one of the crimes for which he is being investigated.

The prosecution maintained there is a risk of flight, considering the background where he fled from the United States justice through the Bahamas in the company of his brother Luis Enrique Martinelli Linares. At the time they left the United States, they were detained in Guatemala and fought the extradition process. "They have access to financial resources and politically they have good connections in Panama, " said the judge. The bail package proposed by the defendant in his presentation is less solid than the bail package proposed by Luis Martinelli Linares and rejected by Judge Reymond Dearie, who   " fully agrees "that the bail package was insufficient, " he highlights. Another of the points given to Judge Levy by the prosecutor Alixandra Smith to deny the bail are: The defendant has a substantial and proven flight risk, The seriousness of the crimes charged and the overwhelming evidence that supports them, his previous actions to evade prosecution in the United States, Lack of ties to the United States, extensive financial resources and foreign political connections, and his status as a citizen of Panama, who does not extradite its citizens to the United States,. Ricardo Alberto Martinelli Linares must go before Judge Reymond Dearie on December 14 when he is expected to plead guilty to one of the charges.

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/ny-judge-denies-bail-to-second-martinelli-son

[Moderator_03]

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Second Martinelli sibling pleads guilty to laundering $28 million

Posted 14/12/2021

Ricardo Alberto Martinelli Linares on Tuesday, December 14 pleaded guilty to conspiracy to launder $28 million in bribes that Odebrecht paid for the benefit of a "high official of the Panamanian government," using the US financial system.

 Judge Raymond Dearie validated the plea agreement reached with the prosecutor's office for the Eastern District of New York, in which the defendant admitted one of the three charges against him for conspiring to launder $28 million in bribes paid by Odebrecht, between August 2009 and September 2015 The judge has already validated a similar agreement, in favor of his brother Luis Enrique, on December 2.

The reading of the sentence will be on May 13, 2022 . Luis Enrique's will be a week later, on May 20. Meanwhile, they remain in the Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC), without the right to bail, due to "high flight risk."

The prosecution requested a sentence of 108 to 135 months in prison. The judge warned that to set the sentence, he will take into account the sentencing guide approved by the United States Congress (which is 20 years in prison, plus three years of supervised freedom) the proposal of the prosecution, and the report of the Bureau of Prisons. In any case, Dearie warned that it would not exceed 151 months in prison. If it exceeds that amount, then it would be appealable.

As they are not permanent residents of the United States, the Martinelli Linares brothers will be deported once they complete their sentence.

Martinelli Linares appeared wearing the beige prison uniform . The judge asked him if he knew what the word "conspire" meant.

"Yes. Conspiring is that I agree with others, to violate the law of the United States, "he replied in English.

"Very well. A plus , ”Dearie said.

In the plea agreement, Martinelli Linares promised to deliver $18.9 million to the US Treasury. the same terms of the agreement were validated in favor of Luis Enrique.

After the hearing Martinelli Linares returned to the MDC, where he is currently isolated from the rest of the prison population, as part of the anticovid protocols.

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/second-martinelli-sibling-pleads-guilty-to-laundering-28-million

[Moderator_03]

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Panama asks the US  to return $28 million laundered by Martinelli sons

Posted 15/12/2021

The of the Attorney General's office has contacted the US Department of Justice, "as a victim of crime," to seek restitution of the money that the Martinelli brothers laundered. 

The two sons of former President Ricardo Martinelli confessed to having participated in a scheme to launder $28 million in bribes that the construction company Odebrecht paid for the benefit of a former "senior official of the Panamanian government."

According to a statement from the Attorney General's Office, this request is made in its capacity as the central authority of the Republic of Panama for the United Nations Convention against Corruption ”and in compliance with its constitutional obligation to defend the interests of the Panamanian State.

In the Panama application, the restitution of the funds from the crimes or any sum equivalent to the goods or the proceeds of the crime that have been or in the future are committed is requested, as a result of the criminal process followed in the United States to the Martinelli Linares brothers and “others”.

Luis Enrique, Martinelli Linares 39, and Ricardo Alberto, 42, pleaded guilty on December 2 and 14, 2021, respectively, to the charge of conspiracy to launder money.

The Attorney General's Office reported that at the hearing with Federal  Judge Raymond Dearie, on Tuesday in Brooklyn, in which Ricardo Alberto's guilty agreement was validated, the Superior Prosecutor for International Affairs, Agustín A. Almario Castillo, was present. The entity reported that it is following up on everything that happens in this case.

The reading of the sentence of Ricardo Alberto will be on May 13, 2022 and that of Luis Enrique, on the 20th of the same month.

Currently, the Martinelli Linares brothers are in the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC), in the Brooklyn sector (New York), without the right to bail due to their “high risk of flight”.

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama-asks-us-to-return-28-million-laundered-by-martinelli-sons-1

[Moderator_03]

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The silence of Panamanian justice

Posted 18/12/2021

The Public Prosecutor's Office, is silent in the case of the Martinelli Linares brothers in the United States, on the reason why the entity was not present at Luis Enrique's hearing and at that of Ricardo Alberto, yes reports La Prensa.

Lawyer and columnist Rodrigo Noriega follows up with:

 Justice has been the main protagonist of the front pages and the news scoops in recent days. In particular, the decisions reported by different judicial actors in Panama and abroad count much more in what their statements do not say than in what they actually express

The unofficial translation of the statement from the United States Department of Justice of December 14, summarizes the importance of the guilty plea of Ricardo Alberto Martinelli Linares, as part of a conspiracy to launder money from bribes paid by Odebrecht to a close relative. , who was a senior official of the Panamanian government between 2009 and 2014.

In the extensive statement, the Department of Justice recognizes the authorities of the countries that assisted in the investigation, prosecution, and extradition of the Martinelli Linares: “The Federal Public Ministry of Brazil and its Federal Police, the Federal Justice Office of Switzerland, law enforcement authorities in Guatemala, including its Public Ministry and its Specialized Unit in International Affairs, as well as  justice authorities of El Salvador, also provided significant support ”.

The name of Panama does not appear in the aforementioned quote. This means that the investigation and prosecution of two Panamanian citizens, for conspiring to launder money in favor of a former Panamanian official, for works contracted by the government of Panama, was carried out without the cooperation and, therefore, without the knowledge of the Panamanian authorities. A true vote of confidence.

Public Ministry notices

On Wednesday, December 15, the Public Ministry (MP) was loquacious. In the first communiqué of that day, he informed the country that five days before, on December 10, he had informed the United States Department of Justice that Panama wanted them to return the funds seized in the case of the Martinelli Linares brothers " and others ”, both in the present and in the future. However, the surprise news of that statement was that on December 14, the Superior Prosecutor for International Affairs, Agustín A. Almario Castillo, was present at the hearing of Ricardo Alberto Martinelli Linares in New York. It is not explained if the prosecutor is fluent in the English language or if he was accompanied by any personnel from the Department of Justice. That statement is silent on the reason why in the hearing of Luis Enrique Martinelli Linares there was no presence of the MP.

The positive news of that statement appears in the last paragraph of the document: "[...] in accordance with the provisions of articles 2222 and 2225 of the Judicial Code, after the issuance of the indictment, the process will be opened to evidence, corresponding procedural moment in which the Public Ministry, represented by the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office, will request the court of the case in writing, the evidence that it will use in support of its claims, including suitable international legal assistance ". In other words, the New York tests, if ordered in time, can be used in Panama.

In the second statement of that December 15, the MP responded to the issue of the video that showed former president Ricardo Martinelli Berrocal meeting with his lawyer Alejandro Pérez and PRD politician Virgilio Crespo, and at a separate table someone who, according to the digital portal Foco was Ricardo Ramírez Bustos, a partner of one of the judges in the case of the punctures, but who, according to Martinelli, is supposedly the citizen Amado Arjona.

The statement on that issue said: “The Public Ministry informs the public that, through the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office, an investigation began this Wednesday, December 15, 2021, as a result of the disclosure of a video that went viral in social networks through the account of a local digital medium, in which reference is made to possible criminal acts with respect to a criminal process in which one of the parties was a former president of the Republic prosecuted for the crimes of illegal interception of communications and illegal monitoring and [sic] surveillance, being declared not guilty ”.

In that statement, a concern of public opinion is recognized, but then it is dealt with tweezers. It is not clear if the investigation will be exclusively of the video and its content, or if the possibility of alleged acts of corruption in this situation will be investigated "to the ultimate consequences".

Judicial Branch reaction

That same day, the Supreme Court of Justice released a brief statement on the subject of the video. The document is essentially a quote from what the MP said, except in the last paragraph, when it states: “This justice corporation trusts the investigation that the Public Ministry will carry out and at the same time requests that any person who can collaborate with clarifying the facts , contribute your contributions to the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office, through the channels established by law, in order to respect all guarantees and due process ”.

The content of the Supreme Court statement does not express, suggest, acknowledge or suppose that the Judicial Branch will carry out an administrative investigation. Given that the Court has delayed the implementation of the judicial career, this has prevented the entry into force of the jurisdiction of integrity and transparency. In the absence of that jurisdiction, with their respective magistrates, those functions are assumed by the plenary session of the Supreme Court. There are many actions that the Judiciary can take to verify that the judgments and decisions handed down by its members are authentic products of due process.

The final part of the statement from the Department of Justice of December 14, demonstrates how all these statements should conclude: “Whoever has information on economic gains that are protected or have passed through the United States financial system, should enter into communication with federal agents to the mail kleptocracy@usdoj.gov ”. And in Panama, who can we write to?

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/the-silence-of-panamanian-justice

[Moderator_03]

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Nearly $700,000 of laundered money recovered from Martinelli sons

The Martinelli brothers.

Posted 07/02/2022

The process of confiscating money from the accounts belonging to Ricardo Alberto and Luis Enrique Martinelli Linares who pleaded guilty to using the US financial system to launder bribes paid by Odebrecht to benefit "a high-ranking Panamanian government official" between 2009 and 2014 has been completed but there is more to come.

On February 2, 2022, the United States Department of Justice submitted to the Eastern District Court of New York a detailed statement, which includes the prosecution's claims to the defendants for an amount of $697,458.75, corresponding to the funds deposited. in accounts belonging to the two sons of former president Ricardo Martinelli.

The receipt from the United States Marshals Service informs that the deposit of a check from International Finance Bank was made in the Seized Property Deposit Fund (SADF).

The authorities have also ordered the confiscation of a million dollars that were traced by the US government. This money has not yet been recovered.

Last December, in separate hearings, Ricardo Alberto and Luis Enrique admitted to District Judge Raymond J. Dearie that they had established secret bank accounts in the name of shell companies in foreign countries and in the United States to launder nearly $28 million in bribes. they received from Odebrecht, during the government of their father

According to court documents, the New York Eastern District Attorney's Office maintains that "Ricardo and Luis Martinelli Linares played integral roles in the corrupt scheme to funnel bribes from Odebrecht to a high-ranking Panamanian government official."

Shell companies
It is argued that the Martinelli brothers used the US financial system to further their corruption scheme, creating shell company accounts in banks in offshore jurisdictions to try to evade liability. 

They also used part of the bribe proceeds for their personal benefit.

The brothers remain confined,  in the Brooklyn federal detention center.

They will know their sentence in May. They face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

In Panama, the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office asks to prosecute Martinelli and his sons for Odebrecht bribes. The preliminary hearing is set for July 18.

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/nearly-700000-of-laundered-money-recovered-from-martinelli-sons-1