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A Panamanian criminal court on Monday opened the trial of former president Ricardo Martinelli, who pleaded not guilty to accepting bribes from the Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht in a corruption scheme that has implicated multiple South American leaders.
Martinelli, who sought asylum in Colombia in 2025, joined the hearing virtually.
"I am innocent. I am not responsible," said the 73-year-old former president.
Odebrecht pleaded guilty in a U.S. court in 2016 to paying $59 million in bribes during Martinelli's administration between 2010 and 2014 in exchange for contracts. If found guilty, Martinelli faces a 12-year prison sentence.
Martinelli has sought asylum after his sentencing in 2023 to 10 years in prison for money laundering. The court found him guilty of using embezzled state funds to purchase shares in the media conglomerate Editora Panamá América.
The Odebrecht bribery scheme, which originated in Brazil, is considered one of Latin America’s biggest corruption scandals. In Peru, two former presidents are serving prison sentences for taking bribes from Odebrecht. In Guatemala, records reviewed by OCCRP and partners in a 2023 investigation showed the company used millions from a Central American Bank for Economic Integration loan to bribe state officials.
