Interpol red alert called for Martinelli sons

ANTI-CORRUPTION Prosecutor Tania Sterling, has issued an  arrest warrant, and asked Interpol to issue  a red alret for the two sons of former president Ricardo Martinelli.

Ricardo Alberto and Luis Enrique Martinelli Linares – fled the country  on October 16, 2015.

They  are wanted part of the investigation related to bribes paid by Odebrecht through Swiss banks.

On February 1, the Special Anti-corruption Prosecutor’s Office said that the  research is related to the sum of $ 22 million Which Swiss judicial authorities froze in bank accounts of  the brothers Martinelli Linares,because they suspect – according to the evidence obtained from bank transactions collected from about a year ago – that the money was paid by  Odebrecht as bribes for infrastructure  works awarded to the company by the Panamanian State.

On January 23 the prosecution filed charges against the Martinelli sons and 15 other people. for the alleged commission of crimes against the economic order, in the form of money laundering .

“The file has incorporated several elements of evidence,  of  money  diverted from a bank based in Panama, using Panamanian and foreign companies with companies located in our country, used to try to conceal the illicit origin of money deposited and directly related to assets found in our country,” says the prosecutor in relation to the alleged linking  of the accused with the crime.

The prosecution states that companies such as Baxley Asset Inc .; Hadar Assets Inc.; Constructora Internacional del Sur, S.A. and the Credicorp Bank conspired  “to consummate the acts of receipt, deposit, negotiation, transfer or conversion of monies, and  securities; and conceal the illicit origin of them, thereby also making it difficult or impossible to identify the origin in question, the legal consequences of the wrongful act and the recovery of the assets “.

The prosecution also highlights information provided by  Swiss prosecutors who note that banking transactions were received in three companies and ” and are suspected bribes paid by Odebrecht and that the two children of the “former president of Panama are beneficiaries.

It states that Swiss banks opened accounts in the name of Kadair Investment Ltd .; Fordel International Ltd .; and Aragon Finance Corp.

Prosecutors note that Constructora Internacional del Sur, linked to Odebrecht, transferred $ 3.2 Million to the account of Kadair Investment Ltd. and that transaction was documented in an inspection performed at Credicorp Bank.

It adds that the information provided by Switzerland points out that, in order to justify the company Fordel, and Los Andes, S.A., the brothers presented two certificates according to which they control 75% of the shares and Riccardo Francolini – in detention the case of the Savings Bank – the remaining 25%

Switzerland considers that these certificates are not true and were intended to conceal the bribes paid by Odebrecht.

According to the prosecution, the precautionary measure of detention is the most suitable to comply with the process, since the crime that is imputed to them “Is difficult to investigate, as it is deep in  the heart of national and international society”.

The prosecutor points  out that the accused have not appeared in the process, “remaining in danger of flight, especially since it is a public and notorious fact that the accused have the resources to provide the means of evading criminal justice given the  seriousness of the position they face. “

The defense of the brothers has  presented habeas corpus remedies before the Supreme Court which are in the office of Judge Luis Ramón Fábrega.

In a notarized  statement issued last month in Miami,  the Martinelli brothers denied links to Odebrecht.