Wednesday, April 20, 2016

Former Guatamala president charged with bribery in container
terminal deal



Guatemala's former president Otto Perez Molina and his vice-president, Roxana Baldetti, allegedly took at least $25 million in bribes from a Spanish port company, an anti-corruption commission alleges.

The firm, TCB, won a contract to operate a new container terminal on Guatemala's Pacific coast for 25 years.

Molina was arrested in September after resigning amid anti-corruption protests. He said the contract offered the best deal for the country. Anti-corruption protests had forced Baldetti to stand down in May.

The former president is due to appear in court next week. He and Baldetti deny wrongdoing.

Attorney General Thelma Aldana said Perez Molina

started the approval process for the $225 million project immediately after his election in November 2011. There were no competing bids.

The Spanish executive in charge of the local branch of TCB (Terminal de Contenedores Barcelona), Juan Jose Suarez, has been arrested.

In a separate scandal, the two were accused of running a bribery scheme at Guatemala's customs, which became known as La Linea, or The Line.

A former television comedian with little political experience, Jimmy Morales, was elected president in the wake of the scandal.

For more of the BBC news story: www.bbc.com


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