Former Guatemalan President Otto Pérez Molina has been sentenced to eight years in prison after pleading guilty to money laundering, fraud, and corruption charges. Pérez Molina was forced from office in 2015 amid anti-corruption protests. Prosecutors allege that he accepted millions of dollars in bribes in exchange for awarding more than 70 contracts to various companies.
This conviction follows a previous one in which Pérez Molina and his vice-president, Roxana Baldetti, were found guilty of running a bribery scheme within the Guatemalan customs authorities. Both cases were uncovered with the assistance of the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG), a United Nations-backed body aimed at combating corruption in the country.
CICIG had been investigating corruption at the highest levels of government but was expelled from Guatemala in 2019 under Pérez Molina’s successor, Jimmy Morales, when it started to probe Morales for alleged funding irregularities during his election campaign. The expulsion of CICIG drew significant criticism from anti-corruption groups in Guatemala, as well as from the United States and the European Union.
The current administration of President Alejandro Giammattei has also faced accusations of obstructing corruption investigations. Last year, the U.S. State Department accused Guatemala’s Attorney General, Consuelo Porras, of hindering investigations to protect her political allies and gain political favor. This led to the arrest of several anti-corruption prosecutors, causing dozens of Guatemalan prosecutors and judges to flee the country for fear of arrest.
Corruption has been a significant concern for Guatemalan citizens, prompting many to vote for political outsiders who promised to tackle graft.
By FCCT Editorial Team freeslots dinogame telegram营销
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