Martinelli son faces bingo investigation

RICARDO MARTINELLI LINARES, son of former President Ricardo Martinelli is the latest member of the Panama’s former ruling elite to face investigation into activities for allegedly committing crimes against the public administration.

 Ruth Morcillo the Fourth anti-corruption prosecutor, Ruth Morcillo, has sent a request to the Electoral Tribunal to lift his immunity in criminal courts, which he enjoyed as a Democratic Change official in the last elections . She will investigate his apparent links with Group World Investment (GIM), operator of Buko Millionaire bingo.
The investigation began in March, after an anonymous complaint alleging that the former director of the National Lottery Omar Chen Chan and President of GIM, Jackeline Chan Watson, were associated with Martinelli Linares, thanks to its political power as son of the former president, they were given the award for bingo in July 2011.
This case went to the Public Ministry after an anonymous complaint revealed that Omar Chen Chan, former director of the National Lottery, and Jackeline Chan Watson, president of GIM, were associated with Martinelli Linares, who through his political power, was granted the concession for the bingo.
The concession was granted in the Martinelli administration and, according to the investigations and audits of the Gaming Control Board (JCJ), the company never submitted its shareholding correctly.
Faced with this anomaly, the Board decided to cancel the contract in 2014. Its shares are bearer, so it is not known who the real beneficiaries and end of the company.
Martinelli Linares is associated with the real estate company San Cristobal Ltd. allegedly holding 55% of the shares of GIM. In nearly nine months of operation, Buko Millionaire earned gross revenues of $ 12.5 million. The company and the state signed the concession agreement on July 7 2011. The concession was for 20 years.
The legal framework under which the bingo operated was set in July 2010 in a resolution signed by then Minister of Economy and Finance, Frank De Lima reports La Prensa