Panama blocks Brazil corruption request

WHILE PANAMA’S  Attorney General, found time last week to attend a UN conference on  crime the country’s  Public Ministry has failed to cooperate with corruption investigators from Brazil, in a request received 14 months  ago.

“Panama does not want to send all the documents of the Panamanian account [International Constructora Sur], despite our insistence.”

The prosecutors are working on the Lava Jato (car wash) investigation and have received cooperation from 35 jurisdictions.

Currently there is a new call for assistance from Swiss prosecutors, and both requests are linked to the Brazilian construction company Odebrecht which has received over $9 billion in contracts from successive Panama administrations and whose president has been sentenced to nearly 20 years in jail.

The request from Switzerland adds an additional twist, as it includes the names of ex-presiden Ricardo Martinelli and his two sons.

Panama partially answered a letter from Brazil, but prosecutors are dissatisfied with the response.

They are seeking information about accounts opened by Constructora Internacional del Sur at Multibank and Credicorp Bank. Brazilian prosecutors say theaccounts were used to pay bribes

“Panama does not want to send all the documentation from the Panamanian accounts despite our insistence,” said Brazilian officials  according to a La Prensa report..

The Public Ministry has not responded to the allegations.

The accounts are linked to Odebrecht, which allegedly paid bribes in exchange for contracts.

The request was filed 14 months ago. The accounts in question handled some $50 million.

Brazilian prosecutors  said Panama is violating the basic principles in the field of international judicial cooperation, resulting in a serious obstacle in the investigation.

Attorney General Kenia Porcell met with Brazilian officials last week in Austria. It remains to be seen if that sideline meeting results in any action .

Many questions have been raised over the current administration’s continued cozy relationship with Odebrecht which has received  over $2 billion in new contracts with the city’s mayor  following suit in spite of objections from citizen

At a time when it has been revealed that a case involving mules caught red handed delivering hundreds of thousands of dollars to the Waked group was dismissed  by Panama courts, and that no action was taken on a Colombian request for help in tracking the launderers  the questions will continue including  : “Which tail is wagging the dog?”.