Panama Papers key player wants outta jail
Two writs of habeas corpus have been filed with Panama’s Supreme Court on behalf of a Panamanian citizen wanted in the U.S. to face money laundering charges that could earn him up to 70 years behind bars
Ramsés Owens seen as a central figure in the Panama Papers scandal that reverberated around the world was arrested last week for allegedl money laundering through companies established by Mossack Fonseca headquartered in Panama city but with tentacles spread across the world’s financial capitals.
Owens, who was arrested in his Costa del Este, residence by agents of the Directorate of Judicial Investigation (DIJ) linked by the Second Special Prosecutor’s Office against Organized Crime to an alleged structure that would have used Panamanian banks to launder illicit money
The prosecutor’s office investigated Owens also issued arrest warrants for another 26 people, associated with the structure to allegedly legitimize dirty money.
The case, reports La Prensa is aimed at investigating the creation of a series of corporations and open bank accounts to hide large sums of money that came from illegal activities. The administration of the funds would have been done through a sophisticated scheme that included shell companies and intricate money deposit systems to evade registration systems.
Owens is also under investigation for another case of alleged money laundering through the defunct securities firm Financial Pacific and the Jal Offshore company . In this case, he was initially under of house arrest.
The US Department of Justice has accused Owens of tax fraud, money laundering and other crimes related to the role he played through Mossack Fonseca. Three others connected to the scheme were arrested in different countries.