Ricardo Alberto and Luis Enrique Martinelli Linares, sons of former Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli (2009-2014), were sentenced this Friday in a federal court in New York to three years in prison. in firm custody and two on probation, in addition to paying a $250,000 fine.
Both, who had already pleaded guilty to laundering $28 million and having carried out bribes in favor of the Brazilian firm Odebrecht, spoke in English, asked for forgiveness and claimed to have been wrong before Judge Raymond Dearie.
The Martinelli Linares brothers attended the last view you see Dressed in prison uniform (khaki shirt and pants) and sports shoes, they reacted serenely upon hearing the sentence, although they had previously shown some emotion when talking about their relatives.
In The moments prior to the reading of the sentence, Luis Enrique’s lawyer, James Mac Govern, declared: that the two brothers had acted “by orders of the father”; and recognized before the magistrate that they did not act well, although he said in his defense that they had cooperated “in a certain way”.
Mac Govern himself said that the father was “an excessively dominant figure”; and that they were “two frightened children” that he did what he ordered and did not question it.