Overview
- Judge Baloisa Marquínez opened proceedings against Martinelli and 22 co-defendants on charges that include money laundering, peculation and corruption.
- Martinelli is joining by video from Colombia, where he received asylum in 2025 after a separate money‑laundering conviction linked to the 2010 purchase of a newspaper group.
- The court set a Monday–Thursday schedule, expects roughly 60 witnesses and is broadcasting the hybrid hearings live.
- Ex-president Juan Carlos Varela and Martinelli’s sons Ricardo Alberto and Luis Enrique will face a separate process before the Supreme Court due to parliamentary immunities.
- Investigations in Panama cite more than $100 million in alleged bribes, while prosecutors also point to Odebrecht’s acknowledgment of $59 million and a 2017 cooperation agreement.