12/8/2022 5:27 am (act. 12/8/2022 5:27 am)
Otto Pérez Molina was convicted of customs fraud ©APA/AFP
Former Guatemalan President Otto Pérez Molina (2012-2015) was sentenced to 16 years in prison for corruption. The 72-year-old former general led the criminal network “La Línea” in customs, the court ruled on Wednesday. Prosecutors have asked for 30 years in prison. The sentence can still be appealed.
Former Vice President Roxana Baldetti was also sentenced to 16 years in prison. Pérez and Baldetti were convicted of forming a criminal organization and customs fraud. However, they were acquitted of the charge of unjust enrichment. Both have been in custody since 2015 and reject the charges. Dozens of other defendants were also sentenced to prison terms.
According to investigators, the group allowed companies to evade taxes in exchange for bribes when importing goods. Baldetti was previously sentenced to more than 15 years in prison in another corruption trial in 2018.