Prosecutors Question Panama's Ex-Presidents In Corruptions Probe - Reports

MEXICO CITY (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 03rd July, 2020) Panama's former Presidents Juan Carlos Varela and Ricardo Martinelli are being questioned at the country's Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office as part of an investigation into Odebrecht and the so-called New business corruption cases, La Estrella newspaper reported on Thursday.

Martinelli, who was released from a hospital two days ago after experiencing heart issues, claimed that the principle of specialty had been violated in his case. According to this principle, after being extradited from the United States on charges of phone tapping and embezzlement, he cannot be tried in a different case. In August 2019, the court found him not guilty. Martinelli is suspected of being involved in the New Business case in which editorial group was bought using public money during his term as president in 2009-2014.

Varela, who held presidency from 2014 to 2019, refrained from commenting on the interrogation. His office noted in a statement that the former president received a notice on Tuesday to appear in court on July 2 to testify in the Odebrecht corruption case.

According to a US Court, Latin American political elites received millions in bribes from Oderbrecht, one of the main contractors of Brazilian energy giant Petrobras. In total, Oderbecht paid foreign politicians and public officials $439 million between 2001 and 2016. Among the recipients of the bribes were civil servants from Argentina, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Peru and Venezuela.