Odebrecht scandal: Two sons of former Panama president to be extradited to US |

Two sons of former Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli, who have been remanded in custody in Guatemala, will soon be extradited to the United States at the request of US justice as part of the Odebrecht corruption case, after a Central American court ruled in favor of green light for the second.

Ricardo Alberto Martinelli Linares, 42, pleaded guilty in court to extradition to the United States, where he is accused of money laundering.

The green light for the release of Luis Enrique’s brother was given in May (24227304).

“I would like to express my decision to accept the extradition process and ask the court to complete the required formalities so that they can take place as soon as possible,” Ricardo Alberto Martinelli told the court.

During the hearing, he was denied the right to continue to appeal against the extradition proceedings, which took place after the arrest of the two brothers on July 6, 2020 at Guatemala airport, as they tried to return to Panama by private jet. operated a humanitarian flight.

The court found that there is no longer any obstacle for the extradition to proceed and the process is now at the discretion of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The United States has demanded that the two brothers be extradited to Guatemala following a US lawsuit alleging they were involved in the corruption of Brazilian construction company Odebrecht, which distributed “more than $ 700 million” in bribes to the government. to secure government contracts in return.

According to US justice, they are involved in the transfer of $ 28 million to secret bank accounts in the names of ghost companies.

Former President Martinelli is also facing charges over the Odebrecht scandal. Nevertheless, the former head of state, who maintains a certain popularity, has announced his intention to run for re-election to the highest office of his country in the 2024 presidential elections.

Panama is also seeking the extradition of the Martinelli brothers as part of an investigation into another corruption case.

The Odebrecht scandal has swept leaders and political parties in several Latin American countries. Former executives of the giant Brazilian construction company have admitted in court that they illegally distributed tens of millions of dollars in bribes to secure government contracts for the execution of public works.