Sons of ex-Panama leader arrested in Guatemala

Two sons of former Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli were arrested Monday in Guatemala as y tried to board a private plane out of country.

Luis Enrique and Ricardo Alberto Martinelli were supposedly heed to Panama with stops scheduled in El Salvor and Nicaragua, said Guatemala Interior Ministry spokesman Vinicio Pacheco.

He said re was an international order from Interpol for ir arrests on charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Panamanian government seeks both for allegedly receiving more than $20 million in bribes from Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht.

government initially sought ir arrest in 2017.

In recent days, word circulated y were planning to return due to fears of coronavirus.

y have denied any illegal activity.

brors h been detained in Florida in 2018 for immigration reasons but were released on $1 million bond for each.

Ricardo Martinelli, who governed from 2009 to 2014, was detained in U.S. and Panama for more than two years on allegations of political espionage and misuse of public funds.

A court found him not guilty in 2019, and he was released.

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