Interpol red alerts issued for  missing New Business defendants

Despite the conviction of five people and the acquittal of another 10 in the New Business case, the Second Criminal Court Settlement still has several unresolved issues reports La Prensa.

On the one hand, the trial of David Ochy Diez, director of Transcaribe Trading (TCT), a company that transferred funds to the basket account of New Business Services Ltd., which were actually advances the State had delivered in exchange for remodeling the Arraiján-La Chorrera highway, is pending.

On the other, his sister Dina Ochy Diez and the Italians Pía María Tolomei Friguerio and Isabelle Bruno Tolomei Friguerio have been declared fugitives and Interpol red alerts issued for their detention.

They are linked to the Condotte Panama company, which won contracts with the Panamanian Institute of Sports (Pandeportes) for the construction of the sports cities of David and Colón, both non-existent to date.

David and Dina Ochy’s brother Daniel has already been tried and sentenced by Judge Baloisa Marquínez to 96 months in prison for laundering the funds used to acquire the shares of Editora Panamá América, SA (Epasa), in December 2010, under the presidency of Ricardo Martinelli. Martinelli was also sentenced

When Judge Marquínez held the New Business trial, David Ochy enjoyed criminal electoral jurisdiction that he had acquired as a presidential candidate in the primaries of the Realizando Metas (RM) party.

The defendant's electoral criminal jurisdiction was suspended, following a request from another criminal judge (Agueda Rentería) who is in charge of the First Criminal Case Settlement Court), who charged him with alleged embezzlement because of the contract for the design and construction of the highway.