Judge who lost files throws new block on brokerage probe
FELIPE FUENTES, the 7th Criminal judge under investigation after seven files related to the defunct brokerage Financial Pacific (FP), were found on a highway put another block on the case believed to be in the center of Ricardo Martinelli era corruption.
In a January 25 ruling, Fuentes declared the case complex and confirmed an earlier investigation extension, but warned that it expired on Dec.14 2017.
Fuentes said that on June 14, 2017, the deadline to investigate, was extended for six months. But he warned that “the prosecution interprets the declaration of complex case grants up to two years to continue investigating, which is incorrect (…) “.
The Seventh Anti-Corruption Prosecutor is investigating 14 people, including Ivan Clare and West Valdés, former directors of the defunct brokerage and those close to them, including Martinelli
. This came is after the Securities Superintendency asked for an investigation of the use of privileged information through FP (with the High Spirit account), in order to manipulate the stock market for the purchase and sale of shares of Minera Petaquilla.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office was Investigating possible irregularities through the companies High Spirit and Jal Offshore which had accounts in FP and received funds of unknown origin, and allegedly that same money was used to buy shares of Petaquilla Minerals.
The accounts, said the SMV, were linked with the ex-president his family and close friends.
