Political Tsunami in Panama (July 2020) 0:47
(CNN Spanish) -
Former Panamanian presidents Ricardo Martinelli (2009-2014) and Juan Carlos Varela (2014-2019) are on the list of 50 people that the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office asks to call to trial to answer for alleged crimes committed in the Odebrecht case, confirmed to CNN the Public Ministry of Panama.
When the prosecutor Tania Sterling was asked if ex-presidents Ricardo Martinelli and Juan Carlos Varela were on the list of those requested for trial, the official answered "we could point out that, in effect, they are people who are called into the investigation."
In his prosecutorial hearing, delivered a month ago to the country's judicial body, the Public Ministry asks for a trial against 50 people for alleged money laundering: 14 women, 36 men, including 14 former officials.
But a trial is also being requested against three former public servants for alleged corruption.
Odebrecht on the map, who and where?
(2019) 7:37
Martinelli is persecuted by "traditional economic and political interests," says his spokesman
Upon learning about the request for a trial against him, CNN asked former President Ricardo Martinelli for a reaction.
His spokesman, Luis Eduardo Camacho, said that "traditional economic and political interests persecute" Martinelli.
“Because Ricardo Martinelli, in order to give Panamanians a good quality of life, and everyone knows it and that is what the polls show, he had to step on the calluses of powerful economic and political sectors, who did not understand that democracy is not democracy if Panamanians don't have a better life, ”Camacho said.
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President Varela admits to having received a donation that came from Odebrecht 0:15
For his part, when requesting a reaction from former President Juan Carlos Varela, his lawyer Erasmo Muñoz clarified in a text message that the former president "is not being investigated for any work from his presidential term."
He said that the investigation is based on donations received to his political campaigns, which in Panama were legal at that time and were "duly reported to the Electoral Tribunal."
The lawyer emphasized that Varela appeared voluntarily in the process and cooperated at all times "without availing himself of his prerogative of being a deputy of the Central American Parliament."
Both Martinelli and Varela have previously said they are innocent of the allegations.
Juan Carlos Varela Odebrecht Ricardo Martinelli