In Panama, the process seeks to determine criminal liabilities related to alleged money laundering and corruption, linked to projects executed during different governments. Martinelli's defense has stated that it will exhaust all legal arguments and that upon a thorough examination of the case file, it will become clear that the former head of state has no connection to any illegal act within this investigation. After more than a decade of investigation, the trial for the Odebrecht case began on Monday, one of the longest and most complex processes to go through Panamanian courts. Carlos Carrillo, Ricardo Martinelli's defense lawyer, confirmed that the former president will connect virtually to the proceedings. Carrillo noted that the defense hopes this stage of the process “will end now,” after more than 10 years of investigation and the case file being formally incorporated in 2021. The lawyer expressed concern over the absence of some parties and the possibility that testimonies cannot be rebutted or evidence in the file examined. According to him, in Panama people have been convicted without allowing them to fully exercise their right to defense, something that —he warned— should not be repeated in this trial. Carrillo maintained that the former president has complied with the established rules and that he was sent the link to connect to the hearing. In his statements, the lawyer reiterated that Ricardo Martinelli's fundamental guarantees were not respected, including his status as a former president, his status as a member of Parlacen, and the principle of specialty. He also stated that he was not allowed to cross-examine witnesses or examine evidence used against him. “For us, this process must be closed now at this stage,” said Carrillo, insisting that the evidence in the file itself would demonstrate the non-existence of a direct link between Martinelli and the facts under investigation. The jurist also pointed out that the former president was included in the process as retaliation after being acquitted in the “pinchazos” case, and described as shameful the attempt to try a person after, in his opinion, multiple due process rights have been violated. The Odebrecht case originated from international investigations against the Brazilian construction company Odebrecht, accused of paying bribes to officials in several countries to secure public works contracts.
