(MENAFN– Newsroom Panama)
Companies of the Martinelli group are being investigated by the General Directorate of Revenue (DGI), and the FBI – for alleged tax evasion operations, especially, Importadora Ricamar, SA, owner of the Super 99 reports La Prensa.
For weeks, the DGI has been investigating companies of the conglomerate, something that former president Ricardo Martinelli describes as ‘political persecution.”
Intelligence reports from the United States, as well as the sworn statement of the accountant of Importadora Ricamar, SA (Irisa) reveal alleged operations for tax evasion by companies of the Martinelli family, including Super 99, a company that is accused of money laundering in the Odebrecht case.
La Prensa gained access to a document in the possession of the Panamanian government – dated May 2022 – in which the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) informs local authorities of a possible crime of“tax evasion”. The letter describes operations through which the family of Martinelli, including his wife and children, would benefit from ‘irregular’ financial arrangements through Irisa.
According to the FBI, the irregular operations consist of“loans” made by the Martinelli family in favor of Irisa, in order to charge interest above what the local market pays. The loans would be reflected in the company’s accounting books, despite the fact that it has the capacity to contract loans in the local market…
