Former president facing new charges in money laundering case
Leading figures of the PRD (People’s Revolutionary Dmocratic Party) will accompany former president Ernesto Perez Balladares to court today when he and 14 others face trial on money laundering charges.
They allegedly received and handled money without justification from a company that managed slot machine casinos.
The special prosecutor against organized crime, Marcelino Aguilar, alleges thatthey could not justify the amount of money they received from Shelf Holding Inc. and four other companies, from Lucky Games, a company that received a direct grant to manage slot machine casinos during the rule of former president (1994-1999)
Meanwhile the prosecutor has made an additional request to be allowed to advance a new investigation after the discovery of two checks of society Shelf Holding Inc., and linked to Perez Balladares which went to an account in the Bahamas, used to move more than $176 million between May 2009 and June 2010.
President Ernesto Perez Balladares said during a PRD meeting with in Penonomé- that the truth will come to light and show that there is no evidence that he committed any crime. Other figures in the PRD, Balbina Herrera, Anel Flores, Jose Omar Torrijos and Laurentino Cortizo, said they will accompany Perez Balladares to today's hearing.
Herrera, said Perez Balladares has been unjustly persecuted. While Mitchell Doens said Ricardo Martinelli has proposed to imprison all the Presidents of the PRD.
