Supreme Court stalls Swiss Martinelli probe

PANAMA’S Supreme Court has for sis months  been sitting on a Swiss request for judicial assistance to determine whether ex-president Ricardo Martinelli received bribes from Odebrecht. 

The court admitted the petition in August 2016, but sources from the Judicial Branch told La Prensa it is not yet concluded, as some steps are still incomplete.

Swiss authorities are seeking information about the

company Constructora Internacional del Sur, which they say was used to pay bribes.

Brazilian Fernando de Silva has been jailed in Brazil connection with activities related to that company which  had bank accounts in Panama that were allegedly used to move some $47 million over seven years.

The request for judicial assistance has to be handled by the Supreme Court because Martinelli is a member of the Central American Parliament, and as such any legal matter involving him can’t be handled by the Attorney General.

Martinelli, during his election campaign called Parlacen “A den of thieves” but flew to Guatemala to join the den the morning Varela took office.