Former Panamanian president Ricardo Martinelli, who is living in asylum in Colombia, declared himself “innocent” on Monday as a Panamanian court opened a trial over allegations he laundered money linked to bribes paid by Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht. Martinelli, 73, appeared by video link before Judge Baloisa Marquínez in a Panama City criminal court alongside more than 20 co-defendants, all of whom rejected the charges, according to reporters at the hearing. Asked if he felt “responsible” for the alleged crimes, Martinelli replied: “I’m innocent, I’m not responsible.”
During the first day of proceedings, Martinelli posted on social media that he had “serious doubts” about whether the case would respect due process and the rule of law and described the trial as a “distraction show.” Anti-corruption prosecutor Ruth Morcillo said the Public Ministry was prepared to seek convictions for money laundering.
Odebrecht admitted guilt in a U.S. court in 2016 as part of a sweeping corruption scandal, acknowledging it paid more than $788 million in commissions across multiple countries, largely in Latin America. In Panama, the company has said it paid $59 million in bribes tied to public contracts awarded during Martinelli’s 2009–2014 administration, including projects such as the Panama City Metro, a coastal road, and airport expansion works.
Prosecutors allege payment orders show that while funds were not deposited directly into Martinelli’s personal accounts, he was the ultimate beneficiary and had full knowledge of the illicit origin of the money. Martinelli’s lawyer, Carlos Carrillo, called the case political and said his client’s procedural rights had been violated.
The trial had been postponed five times due to legal motions filed by defendants. The court has set February 13 as the deadline to conclude hearings, after which the judge will have 30 days to issue a verdict. The case file totals roughly 2,800 volumes, with court officials noting the full record could not be physically brought into the courtroom due to its size.
Martinelli is attending virtually because he obtained asylum in Colombia in 2025 to avoid detention after being sentenced to nearly 11 years in prison in a separate money-laundering case. He faces up to 12 years if convicted in the Odebrecht-linked proceedings.
Former president Juan Carlos Varela and two of Martinelli’s sons are also charged but will be tried separately by Panama’s Supreme Court because they hold parliamentary immunity through seats in the Central American Parliament and Panama’s Congress. Both Martinelli and Varela have been barred from entering the United States, which has accused them of corruption.
Across the region, the Odebrecht scandal has led to major convictions and political fallout, including prison sentences for former Peruvian presidents Alejandro Toledo and Ollanta Humala, the 2019 suicide of ex-Peruvian leader Alan García amid investigations, and an eight-year conviction in absentia for Ecuador’s former president Rafael Correa in 2020.
