PANAMA CITY – Panamanian prosecutors say two sons of ex-President Ricardo Martinelli are suspected of receiving more than $50 million in "undue payments" from a Brazilian construction giant at the center of an international bribe scandal.
The Attorney General's Office says the allegations are based on information from a cooperating witness in the investigation, the former Panama manager for Brazil's Odebrecht.
It said Thursday in a statement that multimillion-dollar transfers went to Ricardo Alberto and Luis Enriquez Martinelli through accounts in Panama and abroad in 2010-2014.
The family has denied involvement by the sons in the bribery scandal, which has implicated people close to both the elder Martinelli and the current government.
The former president is currently detained in the United States facing possible extradition on charges of embezzlement and political espionage.