Odebrecht bribes trial will follow 2064 election

The trial of former presidents Ricardo Martinelli and Juan Carlos  Varela and 23 other high-profile performers including ex-ministers for alleged money laundering, in the  Odebrecht bribes case, will now take place after the May 2024 elections and the change of government administration.

The Second Liquidation Court of Criminal Cases (in charge of Judge Baloisa Marquínez) announced that the trial will be from July 15 to August 23, 2024. As an alternative date, the judge set the date from September 16 to October 25, 2024.

The decision was adopted by Marquínez after concluding the evaluation of all the evidence that was admitted by the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office, the defense attorneys and the private complainant, which in this case is the Panamanian State, represented by the Ministry of Public Security.

This was stated on September 27,  the same day that the trial should have begun, but which was postponed, because the judge had not issued the order on the admission of evidence.

In the elections of May 5, 2024, Martinelli (who already has received a  10-year sentence for money laundering in the New Business case ) aspires to compete as a presidential candidate and Varela, meanwhile, wants to enter the Central American Parliament (Parlacen).

Among the evidence admitted by the judge is the sentencing agreement agreed upon by Ricardo Alberto and Luis Enrique Martinelli Linares, sons of the former president, in the Eastern District Court of New York. In this agreement, Ricardo Alberto and Luis Enrique accept the sentence of three years in prison and accept having committed the crime of conspiracy to launder Odebrecht bribes, using the US financial system. Both also confessed that they acted following their father’s orders.