(MENAFN- Newsroom Panama)
Ricardo Alberto and Luis Enrique Martinelli Linares were sentenced to 36 months in prison and two years of supervised release for conspiring to launder $28 million from Odebrecht, but they confessed that their father, former president Ricardo Martinelli gave the orders.
Since June 2020, the prosecutor's office for the Eastern District of New York has said that Ricardo Alberto and Luis Enrique received the bribes, for the benefit of a 'senior Panamanian official' who, in addition, is a 'close relative' of both. On Friday, it is finally known that the person is Ricardo Martinelli Berrocal reports La Prensa
All this came to light at a sentencing hearing, convened by Judge Raymond Dearie. The first to identify the 'senior Panamanian official' were the lawyers of the two defendants. The prosecution followed, which also confirmed that Martinelli Berrocal benefited from the bribes.
Judge Dearie, earlier in the hearing had called them 'arrogant.' The defense replied that they were not arrogant, but 'two scared children' who followed their father's orders.
The brothers appeared before the judge wearing the cream uniform of a prisoner. The two asked to speak and apologized to the Panamanian people, the US government, and their relatives: the mother and sister, and also the wife of Luis Enrique.
They also complained about the 'inhumane' conditions in the Brooklyn prison and asked to be transferred to another facility. For that, they must submit a formal request, in writing.
$18.9 million seized
Hours before, Assistant District Attorney Alixandra Smith filed a preliminary order with Judge Dearie to seize nearly $18.9 million, in addition to all 'rights,' titles, interest, and 'traceable' income tied to the crime for which the brothers confessed, last December. Part of the funds is deposited in two accounts at Bank Vontobel AG, in Switzerland, in the name of the companies Diamong Investments Corp. and Waterspoon International Ltd.
Among the forfeited assets is a beachfront condominium on Miami's Brickell Avenue in the Icon Tower building, which was once the residence of Luis Enrique. The apartment has already been sold for $1.4 million. In addition, the deputy prosecutor requests the execution of the immigration bond that both consigned, after being detained by immigration agents, on November 20, 2018. That bond has an approximate amount of $1million 32 thousand, for each one.
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