Missing link in Panama laundering arrested

WHILE Panma drags its  feet over Brazilian requests  for assistance in investigating corruption links between the two countries and the Odebrecht construction giant, Fernando Micliaccio Da Silva the man who may be able to  provide the answers  has been arrested in Switzerland.

An employee of Odebrecht he has been identified in Brazil as the person who controlled the bank accounts of the company was detained in Switzerland, Brazil officials said.

The arrest is key to revealing the management of more than $47 million deposited in Panamanian banks of funds from companies linked to Odebrecht. Brazilian authorities have waited almost a year for Panama to answer a request for aid to analyze the movement of money in local bank accounts.

Micliaccio Da Silva was transferred with his family by Odebrecht to the United States in June 2015, during the  Lava Jato investigation into corruption allegations that would eventually lead to the arrest of Odebrecht President Marcelo Odebrecht.

Micliaccio Da Silva also controlled accounts of Klienfeld Services, Ltd., which has received funds from companies linked to Odebrecht and which made deposits into Swiss bank accounts linked to Petrobras executives, reports La Prensa .

Micliaccio Da Silva was apprehended Feb. 18 based on an arrest order by Brazilian authorities.