A Panamanian court has acquitted 28 individuals who were charged with money laundering in cases related to the Panama Papers and Operation Car Wash scandals. The court order, issued by Judge Baloísa Marquínez, included lifting all precautionary measures against the defendants, with one member of the group reported to have passed away during the legal process.
The Panama Papers, a massive leak of over 11 million documents published by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) in 2016, exposed a clandestine network allegedly involving associates of Russian President Vladimir Putin and business connections between a FIFA ethics committee member and individuals indicted for corruption by the United States.
The leaked documents implicated 12 current or former world leaders, along with 128 other politicians and public officials. However, the court stated that the evidence presented in the case did not meet due process standards, raising concerns about its authenticity and integrity.
In response to the acquittal, the ICIJ's executive director, Gerard Ryle, emphasized the ongoing impact of their investigation, stating that while the court did not hold the defendants accountable, the revelations from the Panama Papers continue to resonate. Ryle highlighted the importance of exposing hidden truths to empower the public to demand accountability and advocate for reforms.
The trial, which lasted 85 hours and involved three prosecutors and 18 defense lawyers, concluded with the acquittal of the defendants linked to Operation Car Wash, a money laundering probe centered on Brazil's state-run oil company, Petrobras. The court's decision to discharge the individuals from the Operation Car Wash case was based on the inability to demonstrate the illicit sources of the money involved, as stated in the official court statement.
