ODEBRECHT: Justice must be seen to be done

The Odebrecht case in Panama involves two former presidents, former ministers of state, officials of various hierarchies, as well as civilians who lent themselves to hide money for figureheads. It is, by far, the biggest scandal in the country – in Latin America, and with connections in the United States and Africa – and it deserves that, due to its enormous public interest, the holding of its hearings is not reduced to the presence of a handful of people.

The Judicial Branch, in addition to guaranteeing a fair process in accordance with the law, must allow the country to follow its hearings step by step through the live transmission of the trial. Needless to cite the precedents of sending the closed-circuit signal of the trial to an open circuit, so that the entire country has the opportunity to see what is undoubtedly the most important trial for corruption ever established, in which there are 62 accused people. We strongly insist that these hearings must be broadcast on open television or on the Internet because, in addition, it is a guarantee of transparency. The opacity makes it possible for justice to be manipulated and, given the importance of the case, the Judicial Body must behave as if it were a first-world institution and not like that of a banana republic. – LA PRENSA, – JUN.28