The lawyers of former deputy and former director of Pandeportes, Hector Brands, reacted forcefully and with some legal indignation after his arrest this Tuesday as part of an investigation into alleged illegal enrichment and money laundering.
Victor Orobio, always direct, stated that the Prosecutor's Office «has not certainly shown on what basis it is making all its statements». According to the defender, the two companies linked to Brands «are well-founded, consolidated and have legitimate income», and he questioned how the prosecutor intends to present a case when they did not even inform them in advance about the facts they were investigating.
With evident annoyance, he added that the defense had appeared on several occasions before the Prosecutor's Office and the Comptroller General's Office, making it clear that Brands «was at his home, in Panama, available whenever they wanted to summon him».
«We do not know the investigation; we hope to access the file in the coming hours,» he said. In turn, lawyer Pedro Meilán, who leads the defense team, was equally critical, pointing out that the Prosecutor's Office could have requested an arraignment hearing without the need for arrest.
«He has roots in the country, he was not going to leave the country,» he recalled, with no small concern, noting that they intend to review a voluminous file within the 48 and 96-hour procedural deadlines: «It is impossible for anyone to study it in one day,» he demanded.
The defense requested the arrest warrant, the audit that the Comptroller General's Office should have carried out as part of the investigation for illegal enrichment, and the expert analysis by the DIJ related to the alleged money laundering.
Meanwhile, Brands awaits the processing of his admission into the DIJ, where the defense hopes to see him this afternoon. Meilán commented that some processes have been delayed due to the medical evaluation corresponding to each detainee: «At three in the afternoon we should be able to see him,» he indicated.
The case, whose investigation began in September 2025, continues to develop amidst a growing atmosphere of legal tension, complaints about lack of transparency, and a defense that promises a legal war.
«It's the classic... we will debate that,» he said, adding that nevertheless a sudden arrest was opted for. Orobio also questioned that during the searches the finding of cash was pointed out as suspicious.
«A businessman can have five thousand dollars in his residence without that being a crime. Here it seems that the prosecutor sees a crime even in a transfer between relatives,» he mocked.
The lawyer stated that the Prosecutor's Office has acted with «great incompetence» in a technical case, and denounced that due process has not been respected: «They have kept us in the dark. He has attended every institution where he has been required,» he maintained.
Meilán explained that for now, the team is focused on obtaining key copies for the defense.
