Money laundering trial ends for former Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli
today
PANAMA CITY (AP) — The trial of former Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli and 14 others for alleged money laundering related to their purchase of a publishing company concluded on Friday, starting the clock on the 30 days the judge has to issue a verdict.
Martinelli, a 71-year-old supermarket magnate who hopes to seek re-election next year, had back surgery the week before the trial started and was not present.
The case, known locally as “New Business,” dates back to 2017 and concerns the 2010 purchase of a publishing company that owns national newspapers.
Prosecutors maintain that through a complex series of foreign money transfers totaling $43 million, companies that had won lucrative government contracts during Martinelli’s presidency, funneled money to a front company that was then used to purchase the publisher. The front company collecting the money was called “New Business.”
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https://apnews.com/article/panama-ricardo-martinelli-corruption-65f54366111db70ab88e7ad3c98f95b0
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He did run away from Panama while still in office, near the very end, when he know they were after him, and stayed for an extended visit in Italy with his dear friend, Silvio Berlusconi, of the hair implants, and the bunga bunga parties with underage girls, and corruption troubles, and even brought his son:
("Hilarious" Berlusconi, pretending to hump a police woman)
Who would guess Martinelli and Berlusconi are both very wealthy conservatives?