Panama checks funding source for Martinelli helicopter
PANAMA’S Special AntiCorruption Prosecutor’s Office has called on British Virgin Islands (BVI) for information about the company Petro Trading Servicies, Corp.,which issued a check on June 25, 2014 for $1.9 million used to purchase a helicopter linked to Luis Enrique Martinelli Linares, one of the two sons of ex-President Ricardo Martinelli. Both are subjects of an Interpol red alert.
The helicopter was seized in Mexico because prosecutors believe it was purchased with funds related to bribes
Paid by the Brazilian company Odebrecht through banks in Switzerland.
Petro Trading Services was registered in August 2011 and its resident agent was Patton Moreno and Asvat. It was dissolved by liquidation on July 13, 2016.
Prosecutor Tania Sterling submitted the request to BVI for legal assistance to determine the beneficiaries of the company to determine if they had any link to Odebrecht.
On April 4, Luis Enrique Martinelli posted photos on his Twitter account of four checks to demonstrate the “lawful purchase” of the helicopter.
One of the checks, for $814,500, was issued by a company inked to Navin Bhakta, who was a partner of Martinelli in a company that was created to compete for hydroelectric projects in Panama which is also under investigation.
