Martinelli family of convicted felons seeks return to power

Former President Ricardo Martinelli , and his two sons Ricardo Alberto and Luis Enrique Martinelli Linares, are running for election on May 5, through the platforms provided by the Realizing Goals (RM) and Alianza parties.

The former president  in addition to being the presidential candidate of the political pact between RM and Alianza, also aspires to be a deputy for the townships of Don Bosco, Juan Díaz, Parque Lefevre, Río Abajo and San Francisco. There he has his co-partisan, the lawyer Alejandro Pérez, as his substitute.

Martinelli’s candidacies hang in the balance because he was sentenced to 128 months in prison and a fine of $19.2 million for money laundering in the New Business case, regarding the purchase of the shares of Editora Panamá América, SA (Epasa) with public funds. His appeal in the Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court has not yet been resolved.

In the event that Martinelli is disqualified, his substitutes will be the ones who will compete. The presidential candidate of RM-Alianza would be José Raúl Mulino.

The former governor’s eldest son, Ricardo Alberto Rica Martinelli Linares , will be a candidate for substitute deputy for RM and Alianza in the Las Palmas, Soná and La Mesa, in Veraguas.

In turn, Rica Martinelli was nominated by RM as substitute deputy for Carlos Outten in the Central American Parliament (Parlacen) . Currently, both are deputies of that international organization.

Ricardo Alberto and Luis Enrique Martinelli Linares were imprisoned in the US for money laundering. When that country expelled them, they returned to Panama and were sworn in as Central American parliamentarians

PENDING CASES
Both face prosecution in Panama for alleged money laundering in the Blue Apple and Odebrecht cases. As they are now members of Parlacen their cases will go to the Supreme Court.

Before they took office in Parlacen, the Martinelli Linares brothers were convicted in New York,  of conspiracy to launder at least $28 million in bribes from Odebrecht.

Like his brother Ricardo Alberto, Luis Enrique was nominated by the RM party as a candidate for substitute deputy for Giselle Burillo in Parlacen.

Luis Enrique will also compete as a substitute deputy for José Muñoz Molina in the townships of Tocumen, 24 de Diciembre, Pacora, Las Garzas and San Martín, among others.

Muñoz is the president of the Alianza party and is currently a representative of the town of Tocumen. He was president of the National Assembly during Martinelli’s presidency.

With these strategic nominations, the Martinelli family not only seeks to return to the center of the Panamanian political scene, but would also bet on shielding their judicial cases and would ensure a significant share of power in areas of influence in the country.