Former Finance Minister’s Son Condemns Corruption in US – International

The son of former Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli has been formally charged by a Brooklyn court this Saturday (11) with plotting to bribe tens of thousands of dollars.

Ricardo Alberto Martinelli Linares was extradited to the United States at Washington’s request after being captured in Guatemala in 2020.

The reading of the charges was almost done because of measures to control the infection.

His attorney said he had signed his client’s contract and was expected to formally plead guilty during Tuesday’s scheduled hearing.

The judge ordered that the culprits be kept in custody until the end of the trial as there was a risk of the plane going off.

The lawsuit filed against Ricardo Alberto and his brother Luis Enrique in the United States is linked to a comprehensive investigation into the Brazilian construction company Odebrecht.

Prosecutors say the brothers allowed millions of dollars to be deposited in bank accounts on behalf of the shell companies.

Louis Enrique was extradited to the United States last month. In New York’s Eastern District Court, he pleaded guilty to plotting with his brother to extort more than $ 28 million from kickbacks paid by Odebrecht from 2009 to 2014 “for the benefit of a close relative of a top government official in Panama.”

The inquest into Odebrecht spread to many leaders and political parties in Latin America. Former corporate directors have admitted to illegally bribing millions of dollars in exchange for public contracts.

Former President Martinelli Odebrecht is being investigated for corruption. Nevertheless, he announced that he would run for re-election in 2024.

In 2016, Odebrecht and petrochemical subsidiary Braskem agreed to pay $ 3.5 billion in fines after pleading guilty in a court in the Eastern District of New York.

Proschem