NICARAGUA: FORMER PRESIDENT ARNOLDO ALEMAN APPEARS IN COURT TO CHALLENGE EMBEZZLEMENT CHARGES.

Record ID: 442998

  • Title: NICARAGUA: FORMER PRESIDENT ARNOLDO ALEMAN APPEARS IN COURT TO CHALLENGE EMBEZZLEMENT CHARGES.
  • Date: 14th December 2002
  • Summary: (W8) MANAGUA, NICARAGUA (DECEMBER 12, 2002) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. GV/PAN/MV: VARIOUS OF NATIONAL ASSEMBLY MEETING (2 SHOTS) 0.14 2. MCU: (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) EX-PRESIDENT OF NICARAGUA ARNOLDO ALEMAN SAYING: "I want to make it clear to everyone and each one of the representatives and to Nicaragua - this route of infamy that it permits me to make use of my Defence." 0.33 (W8) MANAGUA, NICARAGUA (DECEMBER 13, 2002) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 3. CU: NEWSPAPER HEADLINES (2 SHOTS) 0.46 4. GV/PAN/GV: BURNING TYRES (2 SHOTS) 1.07 5. MCU: (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) UNIDENTIFIED SYMPATHISER OF ALEMAN SAYING: "We are going till the end. Long live the Liberal Party. Long live Arnoldo Aleman. This is just the beginning of war on Bolanos." 1.24 6. TV/PAN/MV: ALEMAN ARRIVING AT THE COURT; GREETING SUPPORTERS (3 SHOTS) 1.54 7. MV: (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) ALEMAN SAYING: "This reaffirms the absolute uselessness of the action that reflects the lack of judicial competence." 2.11 8. MV/CU/MV: FAMILY OF ALEMAN AND HIS WIFE FERNANDA FLORES DE ALEMAN; POLICE (3 SHOTS) 2.30 9. MV: (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) ALEMAN SAYING: "Everything that has been brought against me is useless for the following reasons - one, my position as a representative in the Central American Parliament." 3.09 10. GV: PROSECUTING ATTORNEY IVAN LARA SITTING AT DESK 3.15 11. MCU: (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) PROSECUTING ATTORNEY IVAN LARA SAYING: "Arnoldo Aleman Lacayo, faces charges in six different courts of this city relating to fraud, embezzlement of funds, money laundering and illicit association in committing a crime, among others in the different courts of Managua." 3.38 12. MV: LARA SITTING AT DESK 3.45 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 29th December 2002 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: MANAGUA, NICARAGUA
  • Country: Nicaragua
  • Reuters ID: LVA7C2471YWEY4XN23IGSIUQN5V6
  • Story Text: Ex-President of Nicaragua Arnoldo Aleman has appeared
    in court challenging charges brought against him for
    embezzlement and money laundering.



    Riot police escorted Nicaraguan ex-President Arnoldo
    Aleman to court on Friday (December 13), where he challenged a
    congressional decision that he must stand trial on
    embezzlement and money-laundering charges.

    Nicaragua's attorney general has charged Aleman -- the
    country's first former president to face trial -- and members
    of his family and 1997-2002 administration -- with diverting
    millions of dollars in public funds for personal use.

    The National Assembly voted on Thursday (December 12) to
    strip Aleman of the immunity he enjoyed as a member of
    Congress with an automatic seat as former president. He was
    placed under house arrest immediately after the vote.

    But his supporters have come out loudly.

    "We are going till the end. Long live the Liberal Party.

    Long live Arnoldo Aleman. This is just the beginning of war
    on Bolanos," said one man.

    In court on Friday, Aleman, 56, said he still had immunity
    as a member of the Central American Parliament, a non-binding
    and largely symbolic regional legislature, although Nicaraguan
    lawmakers said he was also stripped of that immunity.

    Aleman has strongly denied the charges against him, saying
    they are politically motivated. If convicted, he faces a
    maximum of 30 years in prison, plus the return of funds
    allegedly stolen.

    Nicaraguan authorities have said the alleged fraud in the
    Aleman administration may have totalled $100 million, although
    the charges he faced in Friday's initial hearing were
    connected to the alleged misuse of some $10 million.

    The court scene and Aleman's immunity argument were
    repeated later on Friday when he was taken to a separate court
    to face charges of embezzling $1.5 million in the sale of a
    state television channel.

    Judges in both cases called on federal prosecutors to
    present their arguments next week on why the Central American
    Parliament immunity, in their view, is not applicable.

    When he took office in January, Nicaraguan President
    Enrique Bolanos promised an anti-corruption campaign against
    former officials.

    The probe focused on Aleman even though he and Bolanos are
    from the same Liberal Party and Bolanos even served as
    Aleman's vice president for a time.

    Authorities have alleged Aleman and members of his inner
    circle set up a "shadow treasury," largely in Panamanian bank
    accounts, to divert public funds for personal use.


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