SAN JOSE/PANAMA CITY (Reuters) - Costa Rican police on Tuesday arrested Panamanian businessman and former presidential hopeful David Ochy on charges of fraud and money laundering, judicial authorities said on Tuesday, following an Interpol request. Ochy was wanted by Interpol for being central to a case linked to former Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli, who was in July sentenced to over a decade in prison for money laundering. Ochy enrolled as a presidential pre-candidate for Martinelli's Realizing Goals party ahead of the 2024 vote, which protected him from facing trial in the Martinelli case last summer. Ochy faces criminal charges for money laundering and using a fraudulent Costa Rican identity card, Zuniga said. Carlo Diaz, who heads Costa Rica's state attorney's office, said he could be extradited to neighboring Panama though he must first face criminal proceedings in Costa Rica and could even serve a prison sentence there.

---

Persons: David Ochy, Ochy, Ricardo Martinelli, Martinelli, Randall Zuniga, Zuniga, Carlo Diaz, Javier Caraballo, Alvaro Murillo, Elida Moreno, Sarah Morland, Sandra Maler Organizations: JOSE, PANAMA CITY, Tuesday, Interpol, Central American Locations: PANAMA, Costa Rican, Panamanian, Costa Rica, Rican, Caribbean, Pococi, Costa Rica's, Panama, San Jose, Panama City