Panama Court Clears 28 in High-Profile Money Laundering Case
A Panamanian court has acquitted 28 individuals charged with money laundering linked to the defunct law firm Mossack Fonseca, central to the “Panama Papers” global tax evasion scandal.
Among those cleared were the firm’s founders, Jurgen Mossack and Ramon Fonseca, the latter of whom passed away in May while hospitalized in Panama.
During the trial held in April in Panama City, the prosecution sought a maximum sentence of 12 years in prison for Mossack and Fonseca. However, Judge Baloisa Marquinez acquitted them and 26 others, citing procedural irregularities in obtaining evidence from the law firm’s servers.
Although, the court statement highlighted concerns over the authenticity and integrity of the evidence,the judge concluded that the remaining evidence presented was insufficient and inconclusive to establish the defendants’ criminal culpability.
