Court OKs aid to Swiss in Martinelli investigation

ARGENTINA, BRAZIL and Switzerland  are all knocking on Panama’s door asking for assistance in corruption inquiries with links to ex president  Ricardo Martinelli.

Now the  Supreme Court has admitted one of the two judicial assistance requests filed by federal prosecutors from Switzerland for information about Martinelli’s possible link to the alleged payment of bribes by Norberto Odebrecht, S.A., known in Brazil as the Lava Jato case.

The second request was not admitted due to errors it contained. It has been sent back to Switzerland so that theerrors can be corrected.

The request was referred to the court by Attorney General Kenia Porcell in May. That was because cases involving Martinelli have to be handled by that entity due to his membership in the Central American Parliament (Parlacen).

Judge Ángela Russo was appointed to handle the case and must now send the requested information to the judicial authorities of Switzerland.

The attorney general’s office will also send tinformation that was requested on Martinelli’s sons, Ricardo Martinelli Linares and Luis Enrique Martinelli Linares, who were also part of the judicial request. Both sons and their father have fled the country,

Switzerland requested information about accounts linked to the companies Constructora Internacional del Sur, S.A., Select Engineering and Active Capital Holdings.

Swiss authorities say that these companies were controlled by former Odebrecht Director Fernando Migliaccio da Silva, who has been detained in Switzerland since February.

Those companies were allegedly used to pay the bribes, including ones to Martinelli and his family.