A Panamanian court has acquitted all 28 people charged with money laundering in connection with the Panama Papers
Panama Papers: Court acquits all 28 charged with money laundering
The secret financial documents were leaked in 2016, revealing how some of the world’s richest and most powerful people use tax havens to hide their wealth.
Among those exonerated were Jurgen Mossack and the late Ramon Fonseca, founder of Mossack Fonseca, the defunct law firm at the centre of the scandal.
Judge Baloisa Marquinez said the evidence considered by the court was “not sufficient” to determine the criminal responsibility of the defendants.
During the trial that began in April, the prosecution sought the maximum sentence of 12 years for money laundering for both Mr Mossack and Mr Fonseca, who died in hospital in May.
Both Mr Mossack and Mr Fonseca denied they, their firm or their employees had acted illegally.
The trial, which took place in Panama City, lasted 85 hours, took testimony from 27 witnesses and considered over 50 pieces of documentary evidence, according to local news reports.
The Panama Papers scandal had also hit Malta in 2016, when it was found that then minister Konrad Mizzi and then OPM chief of staff Keith Schembri had companies in Panama.
An inquiry into secret offshore companies opened by Keith Schembri, Konrad Mizzi and murder suspect Yorgen Fenech has been concluded recently, according to former PN MP and lawyer Jason Azzopardi and PN MEP David Casa.
