US has 40 days to formalize the extradition request of Luis Martinelli Linares
Guatemala processed the extradition request against Luis Enrique Martinelli Linares and has decided a period of 40 days for the United States to formalize its request.
The Fifth Criminal Sentencing Court of Guatemala ordered the beginning of the extradition process of Luis Enrique Martinelli Linares, required by the United States for alleged laundering and conspiracy to launder money linked to Odebrecht.
The same court - made up of three judges - granted a period of up to 40 days for the United States to present the formal request for extradition and the supporting documents. Failure to do so within the given period, the measures of coercion will be revoked and the release of the requested person will be carried out.
The decision, although adopted on July 24, was announced this Friday, August 7.
Luis Enrique and his brother Ricardo Alberto were captured in Guatemala on July 6, when they were trying to board a private plane to Panama. Since then, they have been in the Mariscal Zavala military prison.
The extradition process followed by Ricardo Alberto is settled in the Third Criminal Sentencing Court, which has not yet released any decision. His lawyer, Denis Cuesy, challenged said court, and apparently now he will also do the same with respect to the Fifth Criminal Sentencing Court.
Cuesy argues that the Martinelli Linares brothers are alternate deputies of Parlacen , and that the arrest violates their "benefits" as diplomats.
The children of former President Ricardo Martinelli Berrocal have never been sworn in as alternate deputies, although until last week there was an attempt by the Parlacen board of directors for this act to take place in an internal meeting of the Panamanian bench.
According to the United States' accusation, the two sons of the former president participated as "intermediaries" in the receipt and payments of bribes for $ 28 million, "under the direction of Odebrecht."
The payments would have benefited a Panamanian official, whose name has not been noted in the documents released so far (most are sealed by order of federal judge Robert Levy, of the Eastern District Court of New York). However, that official is described as "an official with a very high position in the government of Panama" between 2009 and 2014, a period that corresponds to the presidential mandate of Martinelli Berrocal, and, in addition, a "close relative" of the two defendants.
The same court - made up of three judges - granted a period of up to 40 days for the United States to present the formal request for extradition and the supporting documents. Failure to do so within the given period, the measures of coercion will be revoked and the release of the requested person will be carried out.
The decision, although adopted on July 24, was announced this Friday, August 7.
Luis Enrique and his brother Ricardo Alberto were captured in Guatemala on July 6, when they were trying to board a private plane to Panama. Since then, they have been in the Mariscal Zavala military prison.
The extradition process followed by Ricardo Alberto is settled in the Third Criminal Sentencing Court, which has not yet released any decision. His lawyer, Denis Cuesy, challenged said court, and apparently now he will also do the same with respect to the Fifth Criminal Sentencing Court.
Cuesy argues that the Martinelli Linares brothers are alternate deputies of Parlacen , and that the arrest violates their "benefits" as diplomats.
The children of former President Ricardo Martinelli Berrocal have never been sworn in as alternate deputies, although until last week there was an attempt by the Parlacen board of directors for this act to take place in an internal meeting of the Panamanian bench.
According to the United States' accusation, the two sons of the former president participated as "intermediaries" in the receipt and payments of bribes for $ 28 million, "under the direction of Odebrecht."
The payments would have benefited a Panamanian official, whose name has not been noted in the documents released so far (most are sealed by order of federal judge Robert Levy, of the Eastern District Court of New York). However, that official is described as "an official with a very high position in the government of Panama" between 2009 and 2014, a period that corresponds to the presidential mandate of Martinelli Berrocal, and, in addition, a "close relative" of the two defendants.