Panama law firm in Odebrecht bribery probe

THE PUBLIC MINISTRY  is investigating a prominent  Panama law firm which in the last half of 2010, received more than $2 million from a company related to the Odebrecht construction company.

Panamenista Deputy Jorge Alberto Rosas is a partner of the firm Rosas & Rosas.

Anticorruption prosecutors have asked for an extension to the deadline for investigation in the case because of its complexity.

There are 10 payments that were made to the accounts of the law firm which executives of Odebrecht have not been able to explain reports La Prensa. 

The money deposited in Rosas & Rosas accounts came from Constructora Internacional del Sur, used by Odebrecht to pay bribes to local and foreign politicians.  On the same dates, Constructora Internacional del Sur made deposits to a company linked to Ricardo Alberto Martinelli Linares and Luis Enrique Martinelli Linares, sons  of former president Ricardo Martinelli.

The sons are both on an Interpol red alert list. Their father is in a Miami detention center awaiting an extradition hearing.