Bail set at $1mn each for Martinelli’s sons held in US

A US judge has set bail at $1mn each for two sons of Panama’s ex-president Ricardo Martinelli who, like their father, stand accused of collecting huge bribes in a wide ranging cash-for-contracts scandal. The pair, Luis and Ricardo Martinelli Linares, were arrested on immigration charges because their US visas were no longer valid, a US spokeswoman said. At a hearing at the Krome detention centre, the judge set bail of $1mn each, according to ICE spokeswoman Amanda St. Jean. The judge ordered a hearing for December 27. But if the pair are released on bail, the hearing will be rescheduled. Their US visas had been cancelled in 2017, St. Jean said.