The trial of the Odebrecht case, which investigates the money laundering scheme linked to payments by the Brazilian construction company in Panama, is progressing in the country’s courts and, this Wednesday (25), the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office requested the conviction of 16 people for alleged money laundering, in addition to the acquittal of five other defendants. The request was presented at the end of the prosecution’s allegations phase, in a hearing at the First Criminal Cases Settlement Court, presided over by judge Baloísa Marquínez.
According to the prosecution, if found guilty, the defendants could face a minimum sentence of five years in prison. Among the names for which conviction was requested is former leftist president Ricardo Martinelli (2009-2014), as well as former ministers of his government, such as Demetrio “Jimmy” Papadimitriu (Presidency), Frank De Lima (Economy and Finance), Federico José “Pepe” Suárez (Public Works), Carlos Duboy (Housing) and José Domingo Arias, also former Minister of Housing.
According to the complaint, sentences were also requested against former deputy Jorge Alberto Rosas and his cousin Juan Carlos Rosas; the former consul in South Korea, Jaime Lasso; banker Juan Antonio Niño Pulgar; Rodrigo Díaz Paredes, former executive at the company Mundial de Valores; in addition to the Peruvians María Isabel Carmona and Gonzalo Monteverde, the Uruguayan Juan Francisco Mutio Cerdeira and the Andorrans Cristina Lozano Bonet and Francesc Xavier Pérez Giménez.
The Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office requested the acquittal of Aurora Muradas, Navin Bhatka, Michelle Lasso, Rosa Mary Molino and Jaumes Pamies, considering that it would not be possible to prove, “beyond a reasonable doubt”, that they were aware of the illicit origin of the amounts received from Odebrecht.
The ongoing process analyzes money laundering operations linked to payments made by Odebrecht in Panama. The accusation alleges that resources from the company’s Caixa 2 were used to finance political campaigns in the country, especially the 2014 presidential election, through international transfers structured to hide the origin of the money.
As stated by anti-corruption prosecutor Thalía Palacios, the process has already demonstrated that resources from Odebrecht’s so-called Caixa 2 were used to finance the 2014 presidential campaign in Panama, in which José Domingo Arias was a candidate for the Cambio Demático (CD) party. According to the prosecution, the evidence presented throughout the trial indicates that the amounts were channeled into the campaign structure through companies incorporated abroad.
In the case of Domingo Arias, the prosecution cited statements from Brazilian advertisers, such as Mónica Moura and João Santana, as well as statements from executives linked to Odebrecht, to maintain that he was involved in the corruption case.
The prosecutor’s office also reported that it will seek civil compensation against 13 defendants, with the aim of recovering amounts that would have caused damage to the Panamanian State. The request was filed on behalf of the Ministry of Public Security, which acts as the plaintiff in the process. The decision on possible compensation must be taken by the court at the time of the sentence.
Former president Ricardo Martinelli, who is in Colombia, participates in the trial remotely. With the conclusion of the prosecution’s arguments, the trial now enters the defense phase. The defendants’ lawyers will have time to present their arguments before the court evaluates all the evidence and makes a final decision.
