The corruption trial in Panama involving former president Ricardo Martinelli and Brazilian construction group Odebrecht has been postponed until next year after the 2024 presidential election, a court decided Thursday.
Martinelli, who held office between 2009 and 2014, is accused of laundering money from bribes by Odebrecht, as part of a sprawling corruption case of several South American heads of state and government.
The hearing will now be held between July 15 and August 23, 2024, according to a press release -- after Panama's May 5 presidential election, in which Martinelli is a candidate.
The trial was postponed to give the court sufficient time to process "the large amount of evidence submitted by the parties," according to the press release.
Another former Panamanian president, Juan Carlos Varela, is also facing charges in the case.
Odebrecht admitted in 2016 that it and affiliated entities had paid $788 million in bribes between 2001 and 2016 to win contracts for around 100 projects in Panama and 11 other countries.
Martinelli, 71, was indicted for accepting bribes from the construction giant and sentenced in July to nearly 11 years in prison for money laundering in another case.
Despite his legal woes, Martinelli is leading in some polls ahead of the upcoming election, while his opponents hope that the judicial system will prevent him from running.