FBI lodges Martinelli sons' files with court
The sons of former president Ricardo Martinelli could face sentences of up to 50 years in a US prison if convicted of the crimes linked to Money laundering and other illegal activities investigated by the FBI.
Ricardo Alberto and Luis Enrique Martinelli Linares met “in person, on several occasions” with an agent of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), as part of the investigation for alleged conspiracy to launder money and money laundering related to Odebrecht.
The data is recorded in the affidavit that the FBI special agent, Michael Lewandowski, delivered on Monday, July 27 to the Eastern District Court of New York, which on June 27 received a criminal complaint against the brothers. Lewandowski is one of the agents assigned to the case, “which involves criminal conduct, including conspiracy and money laundering.”
Evidence
Lewandowski points out that in the evidence obtained against the Martinelli Linares, there are witness statements, bank records, company ownership documents, and emails, among others.
The brothers have been detained in Guatemala since July 6, while their eventual extradition to the United States is defined.
According to the FBI investigation, the brothers were reported to have participated as “intermediaries” in receiving and paying bribes of $28 million, “under the leadership of Odebrecht.”
The payments would have benefited a Panamanian official, whose name has not been noted in the documents, However, the official is described as “an officer with a very high position in the government of Panama and, addition, “close relative” of the two accused.” between 2009 and 2014, the time of the presidency of Ricardo Martinelli.
In parallel to the affidavit presented by the FBI agent, Deputy Prosecutor Julia Nestor presented to the Court an affidavit, in which she points out that only for the crime of conspiracy to launder money, the prison sentence would be up to 20 years.
The prosecutor mentions that there are two charges for money laundering “for concealment”, which carry a maximum penalty of up to 20 years in prison. Luis Enrique, in addition, is linked to a charge for using money from fraud, in a legitimate business, a crime punishable by imprisonment of up to 10 years.
According to the complaint, the payments would have occurred between August 2009 – one month after Martinelli took office – and September 2015, at least, and would have been channeled through the management of “secret” bank accounts, on behalf of shell companies or ghost companies in the Bahamas or the British Virgin Islands. These transactions were carried out, “knowing that they represented the product of some illegal activity” and with the intention of concealing their nature, source, and beneficiary.” according to the amendment presented on Monday.
In Panama, the former president and his sons are required for investigation by the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office, which since 2017 been n investigates the bribes that Odebrecht paid in the country.
The Second Superior Court of Justice gave the sons bonds of $2 million each. The father, he has not gone to an investigation but presented a medical disability certificate for 60 days, effective until the beginning of September.
