US reveals indictments of sons of former Panama president

Seven months after their arrest in Guatemala, the United States disclosed the indictment against Ricardo Alberto and Luis Enrique Martinelli Linares sons of the former president of Panama,Ricardo Martinelli.

 Both face h of three charges: one, for allegedly conspiring to launder money, and two, for hiding information on money laundering.

Luis Enrique also faces two additional charges, for the alleged use of money obtained through money laundering.

The five-page indictment was known this Friday, February 5, but it was delivered the day before to the office of Judge Raymond J. Dearie, of the Eastern District Court of New York, where the case has been sitting  since last July. Dearie took over the case last Thursday, replacing Judge Diane Gujarati.

Just for the crime of conspiracy to launder money, the penalty would be up to 20 years in prison. For the crime of hiding information, the maximum penalty is also 20 years in prison. The indictment warns that the assets linked to the charges are subject to confiscation if eventually the accused are convicted.

The indictment had remained sealed until now, but the charges that are detailed are supported by information that had already been released by the FBI special agent, Michael Lewandowski, who on several occasions met, in person, with the Martinelli Linares, before the brothers were captured in Guatemala, on July 6, following a request for extradition from the United States. The document was presented by Lewandowski to the Court on June 27, a week before their arrest.

The brothers are in a military prison in Guatemala, waiting for their surrender to the United States to be resolved.

The formal accusation against Ricardo Alberto and Luis Enrique is based on facts allegedly committed between August 2009 and September 2015, largely coinciding with the presidential mandate of their father, Ricardo Martinelli Berrocal (2009-2014), and includes at least four suspicious transactions.

Although the FBI maintains that the two sons of the former president participated as “intermediaries” in the receipt and payment of bribes for $28 million, “under the direction of Odebrecht,” these allegations are not in the indictment disclosed now.

Two transactions are detailed, on November 12 and December 10, 2013, for $899,978.32 and $30,887.21, respectively, from a financial institution located in Switzerland to a bank in New York and, again, to a Swiss bank.

The accusation also mentions two transfers, linked to Luis Enrique: one, on February 11, 2013, for $346,500, and another, on August 26, 2015, for approximately $570, 000, both made from a Swiss bank to a bank in New  York, and from there – finally – to accounts in New Jersey and Florida, respectively.

The property transaction records indicate that the $570,000 transferred correspond to the payment of an apartment in Miami, Florida, in the name of a company, for the benefit of Luis Enrique. That apartment, on Brickell Avenue, would be confiscated if convicted.

Deputy Prosecutor Julia Nestor informed the Court that she estimates that the trial could last less than six weeks reports La Prensa.