Odebrecht trial delayed over no-show defense lawyers

The preliminary hearing for bribes that Odebrecht paid in Panama due to be heard on Monday, July 18 has been postponed once again due to the nonappearance of several defense lawyers who got a light tap on the wrist. It will now be held from September 12 to 30.

Several excuses from defense attorneys arrived at the court, which is why Judge, Baloisa Marquínez, suspended the act and rescheduled it.

One of the excuses presented was that of Roniel Ortiz, a lawyer for Úrsula Banz, Aurora Muradas, and Fernando Carreiro Muradas (Aurora’s son), three of the 50 defendants for whom the Public Ministry requests a summons to trial for alleged money laundering.

Banz, Muradas, and Carreiro sent notes to the judge in which they communicate that they reject the representation of a public defender since the three had empowered Ortiz. Attorney Ortiz was not present in the courtroom. He did not send a medical excuse.

Alma Cortés and Pedro Meilán , representatives of Importadora Ricamar and Rodrigo Díaz Paredes , respectively, did not appear.

 Cortés sent a certificate of medical incapacity valid until Tuesday, July 19, and Meilán sent proof that he has covid-19.

The judge did not accept the excuse of Alejandro Pérez, María Rivera Vigas’s lawyer, since, according to her, it was not justified.

The court noted that Luis Eduardo Camacho, substitute attorney for Ricardo Alberto Martinelli son of the ex-president, had not attended in person. Camacho did not send any excuse in writing.

The judge announced that each of the lawyers who did not attend the preliminary hearing and did not present excuses would be fined $100.

Earlier the anti-corruption prosecutor, Ruth Morcillo, announced that the Public Ministry (MP) would request a summons to trial for 50 people under investigation, including two former presidents: Ricardo Martinelli and Juan Carlos Varela). The two sons of Martinelli (Ricardo Alberto and Luis Enrique Martinelli Linares) are imprisoned in the United States, after confessing to having laundered $28 million in bribes from Odebrecht, following instructions -according to them- from their father.

Neither Varela nor Martinelli was seen in the courtroom. Varela was represented by his lawyer.

In addition to the 50 natural persons, there is a legal one: Importadora Ricamar, which commercially operates the Super 99 chain, owned by the Martinelli family.