05/24/2023 03:39 (act. 05/24/2023 03:39)
A court case has been initiated in Panama against former President Ricardo Martinelli on money laundering charges. The 71-year-old man, who governed the Central American country from 2009 to 2014, did not attend the opening of the trial for health reasons, as announced by the Panamanian judiciary this Tuesday (local time).
In the lawsuit, a total of 15 defendants are accused of illegally acquiring a publishing group in 2010 with public funds. Martinelli plans to run for president again next year. The former head of state is threatened with new lawsuits. Among other things, he is accused of having accepted bribes from the Brazilian construction company Odebrecht.