Panama’s former presidents Ricardo Martinelli and Juan Carlos Varela are two of the 36 people who will go to trial in the case of the Brazilian construction company Odebrecht, as confirmed by Judge Baloisa Marquínez, as reported by the newspaper ‘La Prensa’.
Martinelli, who was president of the Latin American country between 2009 and 2014, was indicted for alleged crimes of money laundering and corruption in international transactions after the Criminal Chamber of the Spanish National Court admitted in April 2021 an appeal filed by the Baltasar Garzón International Foundation (FIBGAR).
Martinelli assured in his statement as accused before the judge of the Spanish National Court, Ismael Moreno, that he did not receive any money for awarding the works of lines 1 and 2 of the Metro and the Health City of Panama to the consortium led by Odebrecht, of which FCC was also part.
The case was opened in 2017 as a result of a complaint against a legal advisor of Odebrecht for the possible commission of crimes of laundering, bribery and criminal organization committed between 2009 and 2015. The Brazilian construction company would have used Spanish companies to launder the alleged kickbacks.
For his part, Juan Carlos Varela, president of the country between 2014 and 2019, is accused of money laundering for receiving checks with alleged donations from Odebrecht to the Panameñista Party for the 2009 electoral campaign.
During a second appearance before the Prosecutor’s Office, Varela charged Martinelli, who is involved in the alleged purchase of Editora Panamá América SA (EPASA) with public funds. Martinelli’s sons, Ricardo and Luis Enrique, are also implicated in the Odebrecht case.
