Otto Perez Molina was found guilty of customs fraud
© APA / AFP
Former Guatemalan President Otto Perez Molina (2012-2015) was sentenced to 16 years in prison for corruption. The court ruled on Wednesday that the 72-year-old former general was leading the “La Linea” criminal network in customs. Prosecutors had asked for 30 years in prison. The ruling can still be appealed.
Former Vice President Roxana Baldetti was also sentenced to 16 years in prison. Pérez and Baldetti were found guilty of forming a criminal organization and customs fraud. However, they were acquitted of the charge of unlawful enrichment. Both have been in detention since 2015 and deny the allegations. Dozens of other defendants were also sentenced to prison terms.
According to investigators, the group enabled companies to evade paying taxes in exchange for bribes when importing goods. Baldetti had already been sentenced to more than 15 years in prison in another corruption trial in 2018.
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