“New Business” fugitive arrested in Costa Rica

Panamanian fugitive David Ochy was arrested in Costa Rica in a police operation carried out in the early hours of Tuesday,

Ochy is wanted in criminal proceedings for alleged money laundering in Panama – “where he remains a fugitive” – and in Costa Rica.

In Panama, the news was first reported by TVN, a local television station that has an agreement with the Costa Rican network.

Ochy was to be prosecuted for the New Business case, a process by which former president Ricardo Martinelli and his brother Daniel Ochy were already sentenced for money laundering, last July, to 128 and 96 months in prison, respectively, by criminal judge Baloisa. Marquinez. That sentence was confirmed last October by the First Court of Justice.

David Ochy was not tried with the rest of the defendants, because when Juage Marquínez held the trial last June, he was a presidential candidate for Realizing Goals (RM), the party founded and chaired by Martinelli.

In that primary, Ochy was not seen campaigning and asking for votes. He ultimately lost, but then, last November, RM nominated him as a substitute deputy to the Central American Parliament (Parlacen).

The prosecution accuses David Ochy because through Transcaribe Trading Corporation (TCT) (the company that in August 2012 blocked the facilities of La Prensa and Mi Diario to prevent the circulation of the newspapers) he transferred funds to the basket account of New Business Services Ltd., which were advances that the State had given in exchange for remodeling the Arraiján-La Chorrera highway.

That money was used to acquire the shares of Editora Panamá América, SA (Epasa), in December 2010, when Martinelli was governor.

The trial proved that Martinelli is the beneficiary of 60% of Epasa’s shares.