Two writs of habeas corpus have been  filed with  Panama’s Supreme Court on behalf of a Panamanian citizen wanted in the U.S. to face money laundering charges that could earn him up to 70 years behind bars

Ramsés Owens  seen as  a central figure in the Panama Papers scandal that reverberated around the world was arrested  last week for allegedl  money laundering through companies established by  Mossack Fonseca headquartered in Panama city but with tentacles spread across the world’s financial capitals.

Owens, who was arrested in his Costa del Este, residence by agents of the  Directorate of Judicial Investigation (DIJ) linked by the Second Special Prosecutor's Office against Organized Crime to an alleged structure that would have used Panamanian banks to launder illicit money

The prosecutor's office investigated Owens also issued arrest  warrants for  another 26 people, associated  with the structure  to allegedly legitimize dirty money.

The case, reports La Prensa  is aimed at investigating the creation of a series of corporations and open bank accounts to hide large sums of money that came from illegal activities. The administration of the funds would have been done through a sophisticated scheme that included shell companies  and intricate money deposit systems to evade registration systems.

Owens is also under investigation for another case of alleged money laundering through the defunct securities firm Financial Pacific and the Jal Offshore company . In this case, he was initially under  of house arrest.

The US Department of Justice  has accused Owens of tax fraud, money laundering and other crimes related to the role he played through Mossack Fonseca. Three others connected to the scheme were arrested in different countries.