Mario Martinelli granted $2 million bail
MARIO MARTINELLI, brother of ex-president Ricardo Martinelli bought himself out of house arrest with $2 million on Friday January 29.
The bail deal in the 15th criminal court before Judge Leslie Loaiza was reached a few minutes before the clourt closed at 5pm and led to his immediate release without any injunction.
Martinelli is being investigated for alleged offenses of fraud in public procurement, embezzlement and corruption in contracts for the sale of school bags through the National Assistance Program (PAN) during in the government of his brother, (2009-2014).
Currently, he had a precautionary measure of house arrest set by the Second Anticorruption Prosecutor in charge of the investigation.
On Friday, the judge sent a note to the Director of the National Police ordering Martinelli’s “immediate release”.
An audit by the Comptroller General estimated possible injury to the State at $14.2 million for any irregularities in granting contracts for school bags in the previous government.
More than 10 people are under investigation in the case, , including former Minister of Education Lucy Molinar (who has a country jail injunction), the former head of the PAN Rafael Guardia (currently in jail), and business people Pablo Ruiz Obregón, Poulette Morales, Carlos Arauz Caneto and Roberto Brin.
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