THE CRIMINAL case against a high  profile group of former officials and insider  businessmen during the Ricardo Martinelli administration (2009 -2014) may soon be heading to court after an anti- corruption  prosecutor requested a hearingfor 39 people.

The group consists of , including 23 former officials and 16 entrepreneurs ,accused of  for corruption related to the purchase of food through the National Assistance Program (PAN).

The alleged offenses took place between 2012 and 2014.

Prosecutor Ruth Morcillo has also asked for a provisional dismissal of charges against 23 others who were investigated in this process.

Among the defendants are former PAN Director Rafael Guardia Jaén and Adolfo De Obarrio, the former  private secretary of  ex-president Ricardo Martinelli-

De Obarrio who has been described as the “messenger boy” between Martinelli and successive heads pf PAN remains a fugitive from justice.

He gained additional  notoriety for his $700,000 wedding when he was earning $5,000 a month before deductions. Martinelli and his wife Marta then , the First Lady were among the guests at the extravaganza. De Obarrio  fled Panama with his wife on Christmas Day last year.

Among the business owners who were investigated are Roberto Carretero, Juan Carlos Marciaga and Carlos Araúz, who collectively received $16 million in contracts for food bags. Prosecutors say these contracts were greatly inflated with prices up to10 times the market rate  which caused economic injury to the state.

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