Former Bank Employees Confirm No Harm from Odebrecht in Panama

Two former bank employees have confirmed the statements made by the Public Prosecutor's Office and the Comptroller General's Office of Panama: the Brazilian construction company did not cause any harm to the State, as the prosecution claims, because there are no records of investigations against it; therefore, there is no prior crime. Additionally, it was clarified that the banking institution conducted external audits annually to oversee its operations, so they should have also been carried out during the investigation period (2009-2014). The Odebrecht case hearing continues in the phase of testimonial and expert evidence; during yesterday's session, Wednesday, witness Juan Cejudo Peña, a former employee of Andorra's Private Bank (BPA), revealed that this financial institution and the Brazilian construction company Norberto Odebrecht never had a direct relationship. The letter signed by the acting Secretary General of the Comptroller General's Office, Gustavo Bonilla, certifies that there was no economic damage, thereby countering the theory that these funds come from a harm to the State and were later laundered. The jurist highlighted that these statements do not mention any Panamanian company or question Odebrecht, as there was never a direct link between the international banking institution and the construction company. The statements of Cejudo Peña were supported by witness Santiago de Roselló Piera, a former compliance officer at BPA, who pointed out that his department found no inconsistencies in the management of accounts associated with Odebrecht. In the absence of such a crime, lawyer Carlos Carrillo has indicated on previous occasions that an attempt is being made to criminalize properly substantiated donations to involve his client in the investigation. Following consultations with the prosecution, Cejudo Peña assured that the company was not a 'client' of the bank; its link was limited solely to approaches by its executives to explain the convenience of carrying out various operations with completely legal financial structures in that country. He even explained that when it is known that the bank's accounts are related to politically exposed persons (PEPs), oversight controls are reinforced to ensure compliance with its regulations. This testimony, according to lawyer Alma Cortés, not only corroborates that BPA never had Odebrecht as a client, but also that all inconsistencies on this matter originated from letters sent by a US commission that, according to the same witness, were later revoked because they relate to specific cases. She reiterated that they were not received during the Ricardo Martinelli administration (2009-2014), but during the electoral campaign period, complying with what the law establishes. Prosecutor Ruth Morcillo indicated that she 'trusts' that the oral arguments phase will begin on Wednesday, February 11, as planned, for which, starting Monday, sessions will be held in the afternoon to hear the expert and testimonial evidence as soon as possible, moving on to the next round. Schedule This Thursday, the appearance of 4 people before the Tribunal is expected: 3 experts and 1 witness (Alvin Ibarra, Leonel Sanjur Águila, Manuel Erasmo Moreno, and Álvaro Thomas), starting at 8:30 a.m., with the objective of this phase concluding next week.