PANAMA CITY: A Panamanian court on Friday acquitted 28 people charged with money laundering at the center of the “Panama Papers” scandal, the court said.
Judge Baloisa Marquinez “acquitted 28 people accused... of money laundering” relating to the now-defunct Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca, the court said in a statement.
Among those acquitted were the firm’s founders, Jurgen Mossack and Ramon Fonseca. The latter died in May in a Panamanian hospital.
During the trial, which was held in Panama City in April, the prosecution asked for 12 years in prison for the duo, the maximum sentence for money laundering.
However, Marquinez found that evidence collected from the law firm’s servers had not been gathered in line with due process, raising doubts about its “authenticity and integrity.”
The judge also ruled that “the rest of the evidence was not sufficient and conclusive to determine the criminal responsibility of the defendants,” the court statement said.
Leaked documents from Mossack Fonseca in 2016 revealed how many of the world’s wealthy stashed assets in offshore companies, triggering scores of investigations around the globe.
Others implicated included former British premier David Cameron, football star Lionel Messi, Argentina’s then-president Mauricio Macri and Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodovar, to name but a few.
Panamanian court acquits 28 defendants in ‘Panama Papers’ trial
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Panamanian court acquits 28 defendants in ‘Panama Papers’ trial
- Prosecution asked for 12 years in prison for Jurgen Mossack and Ramon Fonseca, the maximum sentence for money laundering
- The duo were founders of now-defunct Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca
Russia attacks two Ukrainian ports, damaging three Turkish-owned vessels
- Kyiv says Russia used drones and missiles for strikes
- Moscow vowed retaliation for Kyiv’s attacks on tanker fleet
KYIV: Russia attacked two Ukrainian ports on Friday, damaging three Turkish-owned vessels including a ship carrying food supplies, Ukrainian officials and one ship owner said, days after Moscow threatened to cut “Ukraine off from the sea.”
Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed retaliation against Kyiv’s maritime drone attacks on Moscow’s “shadow fleet” tankers thought to be used to export oil, which Kyiv says is Russia’s main source of funding for its almost four-year-old war.
The attack on Friday came hours after Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan told Putin that a limited ceasefire for energy facilities and ports could be beneficial.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky posted photos which showed a large fire burning aboard a ship in the port of Chornomorsk in Odesa region, with firefighters tackling the blaze.
“This proves once again that Russians not only fail to take the current opportunity for diplomacy seriously enough, but also continue the war precisely to destroy normal life in Ukraine,” he said.
That vessel’s owner, Cenk Shipping, said the Cenk T vessel had been subject to attack around 1600 Ukraine time (1400 GMT).
There were no casualties among the crew, and damage was limited, it added.
Reuters verified the moment of the attack seen on a video published on X. The vessel in the clip matched Cenk T, and the cranes and buildings matched satellite imagery of the Chornomorsk port.
Fabian Hinz, research fellow for defense and military analysis at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said the weapon seen was a Russian Geran-2 drone in its loitering configuration.
Russia’s defense ministry did not immediately reply to a Reuters request for comment.
“The strike is aimed at civilian logistics and commercial shipping,” Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Kuleba said.
Navigation safety targeted
Russia attacked Ukrainian ports with drones and ballistic missiles, Kuleba added.
He said that one employee of a private company had been injured in a separate attack on Odesa port, and that a cargo loader had been damaged there.
Ukraine’s navy spokesperson told Reuters that three vessels were damaged in total, all Turkish-owned. But the spokesperson did not provide additional details.
Turkiye’s foreign ministry confirmed damage in the Chornomorsk port, adding that there were no reports of injured Turkish citizens.
Reuters was able to verify the vessel by the design and name of the bow that matched file imagery of the Cenk T vessel.
“We reiterate the need for an arrangement whereby, in order to prevent escalation in the Black Sea, attacks targeting navigational safety as well as the parties’ energy and port infrastructure are suspended,” the ministry’s statement said.
The three large Black Sea ports in the Odesa region are a key economic artery for Ukraine, which is a major commodities exporter.
In addition to the attacks on Moscow’s “shadow fleet” tankers, Ukraine has ramped up pressure on Russia by hitting targets in the Caspian Sea this week, including vessels allegedly carrying military equipment and a major oil rig.
