Panama hosts Odebrecht bribes prosecutors from 10 countries

PROSECUTORS  from Switzerland, Portugal and eight  Latin American, countries are meeting in Panama to exchange information on judicial assistance in investigations related to bribes paid by Odebrecht.

Described as the  “International Meeting on the Fight against Corruption and money laundering”, it is taking place behind closed doors at the Westin Playa Bonita Hotel

The participating  Latin American prosecutors are from  Peru, Ecuador, Argentina, El Salvador, Colombia, Guatemala, and Mexico, and Panama  who will hold bilateral meetings with Michel Lauber the Attorney General of Switzerland, related to assistance in investigations into the bribery scandal surrounding the Brazilian construction giant, and politicians, officials and businessmen.

Odebrecht executives confessed before the Department of Justice of the United States in December 2016 that the company paid bribes of $788 million in 12 countries, including 8 in Latin America, to get at least 100 public projects.

The Swiss public prosecutor will talk about international cooperation in money laundering and corruption cases.

A plenary session in to discuss Odebrecht research will be followed by bilateral meetings between  regional prosecutors and the

Swiss prosecutor to deal with the judicial assistance agreed with that country in the  Odebrecht investigations.

In Panama, after a judicial assistance from Switzerland, the Public Ministry opened an investigation paid by Odebrecht to Panamanians through banks in Switzerland.

In the process, bribes were investigated that Luis Enrique and Ricardo Alberto Martinelli Linares, sons of former president Ricardo Martinelli, would have received.

Switzerland keeps frozen, at least, $22 million in accounts of the Martinelli sons.