Judge denies prosecutors more time in Odebrecht probe

A request by the Special Anticorruption Prosecutor’s for  more time to complete investigations into  a group  of high rollers suspected  of receiving   bribes  from the Odebrecht construction company has been denied,

Twelfth criminal judge, Óscar Carrasquilla suggested that the  Prosecutor’s Office open a “new instruction” based on the new procedural circumstances arising … a situation that would favor the Public Prosecutor’s Office, to have new research terms. “

In  March, the prosecution had asked the court for an additional six months, based on the fact that, after the collaboration agreements reached with  Andrés Mozes Libedinsky, Jorge Espino, José Luis Saiz, Mauricio Cort, Gabriel Alvarado Far, and Olmedo Méndez, new data emerged that motivated the request.

The original term that the prosecutor’s office had to investigate expired on April 25, so if it does not appeal to the Second Superior Court Judge Carrasquilla’s decision, it must send the fiscal hearing of the process, whose file has 600 volumes and 81 people imputed.

The prosecution stated that, initially, the investigation was limited to the period 2010-2015, which includes part of the presidential administrations of  Ricardo Martinelli (2009-2014) and   Juan Carlos Varela   (2014-2019), and then extended to the 2006 -2009, period when Odebrecht started operations in Panama during the government of  Martín Torrijos.

The prosecution indicated that it managed to prove that Odebrecht made payments, at least, to 11 other companies.

When analyzing the activities of the companies, the prosecution made charges to  Fotis Limberópulos, Aaron Mizrachi, Danna Harrick – who fled the country and face extradition requests -, Orlando Barraza, Winston Spadafora Gálvez, Carlos Espinoza and Guillermo Sáez-Llorens. None of them has yet been investigated by the prosecution 

The legal firm Guerra & Guerra Abogados, on behalf of Aaron Mizrachi, had opposed the request of the prosecution to extend the term of the investigation, arguing that this action violates the individual and constitutional guarantees of the accused. Mizrachi fled the country on the private jet of Ricardo Martinelli.