Court Ruling and Acquittal
A Panamanian court has acquitted 28 individuals charged with money-laundering in cases connected to the infamous Panama Papers and “Operation Car Wash” scandals. The judicial branch of Panama announced the verdict on Friday, stating that all defendants were cleared of the charges. The court did not disclose the names of those acquitted.
Judge’s Orders and Case Details
Judge Baloisa Marquinez ruled to lift all precautionary measures against the defendants and mentioned that one criminal case was dismissed due to the death of an unnamed defendant. The ruling also included fines of 100 balboas ($100) each for ten witnesses who failed to comply with court summonses.
Background of Mossack Fonseca and Panama Papers
The case involved Ramon Fonseca and German national Jurgen Mossack, co-founders of the now-defunct law firm Mossack Fonseca. The firm gained international attention in 2016 when leaked confidential documents, known as the Panama Papers, revealed how wealthy individuals and public officials used tax havens to hide assets. Notable figures implicated included former Argentine President Mauricio Macri, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, and Argentine football star Lionel Messi. Ramon Fonseca passed away in May after being hospitalized since early April.
Evidence and Legal Issues
Judge Marquinez highlighted that the evidence obtained from Mossack Fonseca’s servers did not comply with the chain of custody, which played a significant role in the acquittal decision.
Operation Car Wash Investigation
Regarding Operation Car Wash, a large-scale anti-corruption investigation that began in Brazil in 2014, Judge Marquinez ruled that there was insufficient evidence to prove that illicit funds from Brazil had entered Panama to conceal criminal activities. Operation Car Wash had previously uncovered extensive corruption schemes across Latin America, resulting in the imprisonment of numerous political and business leaders, including several former presidents
