The session started before 9:00 a.m. with the interrogation of the witness for the Anti-Corruption Special Prosecutor's Office, expert Antonio Lim. In response, Judge Baloisa Marquínez stated: "In accordance with Article 2044, persons who have been summoned as witnesses and do not appear without a justified cause will be fined a sum of 25 to 100 balboas, which will be imposed by the President of the hearing..." "On this occasion, due to the absence of the witness who was duly summoned, as indicated by the prosecutor, and in relation to the principle of procedural good faith, the Tribunal considers the summons of the gentleman to be effective, and I proceed to fine Mr. Olmedo Méndez Tribaldo with the sum of $100". Judge Marquínez adjourned the session until 1:30 p.m. Expert Antonio Lim demonstrated deficiencies in the preparation of the financial report, a cornerstone used by the prosecution in the Odebrecht case to try to demonstrate the alleged money laundering scheme, after being interrogated by defense lawyers. Around 12:00 noon and after three days, Lim concluded this interrogation, during which he showed deficiencies in the preparation of the report, the prosecution's key evidence to support the alleged money laundering scheme. The next witness on the list was Olmedo Méndez Tribaldo, however, he did not appear. The next witness to appear is Mauricio Cort and García. "It has not been possible to locate him, for which reason it would be requested that the Tribunal proceed with what is established in Article 2244 of the Judicial Code regarding the fine that the Tribunal is empowered to impose on those witnesses who, despite having been duly summoned, fail to comply with the obligation to testify in oral trial," stated Morcillo. Faced with a battery of lawyers who re-questioned him, Lim could not demonstrate that he used optimal techniques to prepare his financial investigation report; he even highlighted that to do so, he used only the information from the file and did not even review the financial statements of the companies listed in the document. Prosecutor Ruth Morcillo indicated that it had not been possible to locate Méndez Tribaldo, despite having received the summons. The Odebrecht case trial resumed this Friday, January 29, on its day number 11.
Court Fines Odebrecht Case Witness for Absence
In the Odebrecht case trial, a judge imposed a $100 fine on a witness who failed to appear in court despite an official summons. Expert Antonio Lim, during his testimony, demonstrated significant deficiencies in his financial report, which is a key piece of evidence for the prosecution.
