Martinelli sons denied bail

A BAIL REQUEST, to enable the sons of  ex-president Ricardo Martinelli to avoid arrest  was rejected by Special Judge Baloisa Marquínez on Friday May 19.

 Alberto and Luis Enrique Martinelli Linares are subject to an Interpol red alert and facing investigation for money laundering.

Marquínez, however, did grant bail  of $50,000 to Riccardo Francolini, and Evelyn Vargas Reynaga for $40,000.

Francolini has been detained since October 12 over  the loan of Caja des Ahorros  to the consortium that supposedly was building  the Amado convention center Vargas Reynaga cannot leave  the country without judicial authorization.

All are under investigation  by the Anti-Corruption Special Prosecutor’s Office, in the Odebrecht  bribery of officials and individuals through Swiss banks.

Also investigated are Mario Martinelli Berrocal, Francisco Martinelli, Federico José Suárez, Ana Isabel Suárez, Guillermo SáezLlorens, Nitzela Bonilla, Raúl de Saint Malo, Cristóbal Salerno and Navin Bhakta.

Avoiding process
The judge denied bail to the Martinelli’s on the grounds that “there is clear indication” they are avoiding the process “since,  having knowledge of the case investigated by the competent authorities,  they are reluctant to come forward and comply with pocedural laws of the Republic of Panama “.

The Attorney General’s Office requested a red alert to Interpol to locate the two brothers, against whom arrest warrants have been issued since February 1, 2017.

Their  request for bail came from Martinelli  lawyers.  “The procedural conduct of Ricardo Alberto and Luis

Enrique Martinelli Linares shows their reluctance to appear before the authorities, which together with the seriousness of the offense prevent Access to the benefit requested and to the replacement of the measure imposed by a less serious one “said the judge.