Martinelli sons nearing end of jail term
The two sons of former president Ricardo Martinelli who are currently imprisoned in the United States, are set to be released in January and will be heading to Panama to face trial.
The brothers Luis Enrique and Ricardo Alberto Martinelli Linares, posted release bonds in Panama for an amount of $7 million each, in order to avoid being preventively detained for their links to the Odebrecht and Blue Apple cases.
The information was confirmed to La Prensa both by the Judicial Branch and by a member of the legal team of the former, who – like his children – is also called to trial for the bribes that Odebrecht confessed to having paid in Panama.
Sources from the Judicial Branch reported that the Public Prosecutor’s Office has already been notified of the consignment of the bonds and has filed an opposition brief, an appeal that must be resolved by the Third Settlement Court for Criminal Cases, in charge of Baloisa Marquínez.
The sources explained that in the Odebrecht case, they were granted a bond of $2 million each. In the case of Blue Apple, the bail for each one is for $5 million. In both processes, the alleged crime of money laundering is pursued.
Roniel Ortiz, from Martinelli’s legal team, confirmed that the former president’s children posted the bonds that would allow them to be present at the Odebrecht bribery trial, from August 1 to 18, 2023, and, with alternate dates from September 27 to October 17.
There is still no date for the Blue Apple trial since there are pending appeals.
Ortiz explained that bail allows whoever is charged in a judicial process to remain free to face the various procedures that must be carried out, without restricting their freedom.
Release date
The brothers will be released on January 25, after having served a 36-month prison sentence (which was reduced by 15%), after they pleaded guilty to having conspired to launder $28 million in bribes from Odebrecht, using the US financial system. According to US authorities, these bribes benefited “a close relative and senior official” of the Panamanian government. Shortly after, the brothers confessed that they acted on direct orders from their father.
Once the Martinelli brothers are released, they should return to Panama, since, although part of their sentence there includes two years probation, both lack immigration status that allows them to remain on US soil.
