Narayan AmmachchiGuatemala’s former President Otto Perez Molina was sentenced to 16 years in prison after a court found him guilty of perpetrating a fraud worth millions.
His vice president, Roxana Baldetti, also received a similar sentence for the same case.
Perez has been imprisoned for more than 7 years after he was forced to resign in late 2015 as protests erupted across the country over corruption allegations.
The former President was charged with using a criminal network to steal State funds.
#Ahora El expresidente Otto Pérez Molina pidió hoy al Tribunal de Mayor Riesgo B que le otorgue arresto domiciliario tras su sentencia en el caso #LaLínea.
"Consideren que 8 años no es fácil, no solo no vivirlos, es la situación de la familia", dijo. pic.twitter.com/PqA9KnphIR
— Quorum (@QuorumGT) December 20, 2022
Investigators told the court that the fraudsters shared a large part of their loot with both the former President and his VP.
According to court documents, Perez also accepted bribes from importers after exempting them from paying customs duties.
Both former officials have been fined US$1 million each, in addition to their jail terms. However, the court acquitted them from charges of illicit enrichment due to a lack of evidence.
VP Roxana Baldetti was sentenced to 16 years in prison in a separate fraud case in 2018.
The corruption scandal, known as “La Linea”, rocked Guatemala’s political landscape and prompted the United Nations to set up a tribunal to investigate.
However, the International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG) was suspended halfway, forcing many judges and lawyers involved in the trial to leave the country for fear of imprisonment.
Add comment