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Guatemala Ex Prez Free on Technicality
Guatemalan ex President Alfonso Portillo was set
totally free in Mexico Friday, after Mexican
authorities granted him definitive shelter and
annuled the extradition process against him, his
lawyer announced.
Lawyer David Abbot told journalists in Guatemala
that Mexican courts considered the request made
by Guatemala, where the former president is
wanted for alleged embezzlement, "irregular."
The Guatemalan Constitutional Court yesterday
suspended the case against him because the Fifth
Criminal Court judge had ordered the warrant and
extradition before presenting a formal charge.
From now on, Portillo will no longer have to
report to authorities every week, and any
procedure regarding his extradition was
overturned once and for all, said Abbot.
Portillo, who ruled Guatemala from 2000 to 2004,
was accused of authorizing an inflated budget
for the Defense Ministry, part of which went to
his personal friend Jose Armando Llort.
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