Unlimited time to continue Martinelli family laundering probe

THE SUPREME COURT has granted an open extension, without limitation to Panama’s  Seventh Anticorruption Prosecutor  to continue an investigation for money laundering related to the construction of two hydroelectric linked to former President Ricardo Martinelli and his two  sons.

The Public Ministry opened the criminal dossier in September 2015 due to the movement of money related to the construction of San Bartolo and Las Cruces the  hydroelectric projects , developed in the province of Veraguas.

The money used for hydroelectric projects came from a state contractor -Cobranzas del Istmo, S.A.- and capitalized to a consortium of electricity generation, which had as shareholders the former president Ricardo Martinelli and his sons Luis Enrique and Ricardo Alberto Martinelli Linares listed as owners

They  received a check for $900,000 from  Langton International Holding Limited, linked to the owner of Cobranzas del Istmo, Christopher Salerno, who is under house arrest related to the contract obtained for managing the collection of delinquent taxes   for the state in the last government.

Isthmus Power Corporation Ltd., whose manager is Alejandro Adames Garuz received another $200,000 from Salerno’s company and $200.000 from  Gabriel Gaby Btesh,  a member of Martinelli’s inner circle. The power company also obtained funds from an $80 million “syndicated loan” for projects, from four local banks.

Garuz is the son of Alejandro Garuz, currently in preventive detention related to wiretapping of Martinelli’s political opponents, journalists, businessmen and judges. He is also facing charges connected to the purchase of helicopters from Selex, a subsidiary of the Italian conglomerate Finnmeccanica.

The prosecution submitted a copy of the file to the Supreme Court at the end of December 2015 to open a process to consider the case of the ex  president Martinelli.

Martinelli, who has numerous outstanding criminal cases against him is in Miami, and describes the charges as political persecution.

His sons fled the country when the prosecutor opened the file, and Btesh has disappeared from Panama.