Guatemala Ex-President Goes to Court After Night Behind Bars
- 9 years ago
Otto Perez Molina was headed back to court on Friday after spending his first night as an ex-president in military custody.
Perez Molina's jailing followed a historic day in which he resigned and Guatemala's Congress swore in Vice President Alejandro Maldonado to serve the remainder of his term.
The unprecedented political drama was the climax of a week in which Perez Molina was stripped of his immunity from prosecution, deserted by key members of his Cabinet and saw his jailed former vice president ordered to stand trial - all just days before Sunday's election to choose his successor.
Perez Molina appeared in court Thursday to face accusations that he was involved in a scheme in which businesspeople paid bribes to avoid import duties through Guatemala's customs agency.
Perez Molina's jailing followed a historic day in which he resigned and Guatemala's Congress swore in Vice President Alejandro Maldonado to serve the remainder of his term.
The unprecedented political drama was the climax of a week in which Perez Molina was stripped of his immunity from prosecution, deserted by key members of his Cabinet and saw his jailed former vice president ordered to stand trial - all just days before Sunday's election to choose his successor.
Perez Molina appeared in court Thursday to face accusations that he was involved in a scheme in which businesspeople paid bribes to avoid import duties through Guatemala's customs agency.