Panama Papers trial's public portion comes to an unexpectedly speedy end

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: ABC News

April 19, 2024, 11:21 PM


PANAMA CITY -- The public portion of a trial of more than two-dozen associates accused of helping some of the world’s richest people hide their wealth came to an unexpectedly speedy conclusion Friday when a Panamanian judge said she would take the two weeks of trial arguments and testimony under advisement.

The trial came eight years after 11 million leaked secret financial documents that became known as the “Panama Papers” prompted the resignation of the prime minister of Iceland and brought scrutiny to the then-leaders of Argentina and Ukraine, Chinese politicians, and Russian President Vladimir Putin, among others.

Judge Baloisa Marquínez noted Friday that the case included more than 530 volumes of information. The public trial had been expected to run to the end of the month. The judge has 30 working days to issue a verdict. Those on trial include the owners of the Mossack Fonseca law firm that was at the heart of the 2016 massive document leak. Jürgen Mossack attended the trial, while his partner Ramón Fonseca did not for health reasons, according to his counsel.

Panamanian prosecutors allege that Mossack, Fonseca and their associates created a web of shell companies that used complex transactions to hide money linked to illicit activities in the “car wash” corruption scandal of Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht.

Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/panama-papers-trials-public-portion-unexpectedly-speedy-end-109448449

[Baitball Blogger]

1. Well. Wonder where this is going to go, and if we'll ever get an investigation outside of

Panama. Just wondering how involved this get richer scheme was.

[ancianita]

7. Here's the list. Looks like there weren't nearly as many from the U.S. as from other countries. Spain? Wow.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_people_named_in_the_Panama_Papers

Looks like the security of the firm's records and comms were so old and outdated that getting at all the info was easy for hackers.

Then there are the lists from the Paradise Papers and Pandora Papers...

[Baitball Blogger]

8. Thank you!

[mopinko]

2. the movie 'the laundromat' is about this. very gd flick.

meryl streep.

i hope the irs goes after any americans on that list.
and hope the brits get off their asses. they love the london skyline, built w dirty money. just like tsf, only rich cuz of the crime and fraud.
it does pay well, til u get caught.

[ShazamIam]

3. OP. Thanks for this post, I have wondered about what happened to the Panama Papers case. nt

[BumRushDaShow]

4. I know they had started the trial at the beginning of the month

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143222450

So given how complex this was, I wasn't sure how long it would go.

[Kid Berwyn]

5. How convenient.

"Under advisement."

[Hermit-The-Prog]

6. If it was Clarence or Alito, I'd translate that to, "Now accepting bids."