On Tuesday Sep 01,2015, all 132 lawmakers present in the 158-seat Gautemala parliament voted to
lift Perez Molina's constitutional immunity, easily clearing a
two-thirds majority requirement in what is widely seen as an
unprecedented blow against entrenched corruption and impunity
The congressional vote did not remove Perez Molina from office, though constitutional law expert Alejandro Balsells said it would be within a judge's power to suspend the president if he is ordered to jail as the case moves forward. No charges have yet been filed.
Uncovered by prosecutors and a U.N. commission probing criminal networks in Guatemala, the corruption scandal involved a scheme known as "La Linea," or "The Line," in which businesspeople paid bribes to avoid import duties through the customs agency. The ring is believed to have defrauded the state of millions of dollars.
The scandal has already claimed the job of former Vice President Roxana Baldetti, whose ex-personal secretary was named as the alleged ringleader. Baldetti resigned May 8 and is currently in jail awaiting trial on accusations she took millions of dollars in bribes.
Guatemalan prosecutors wasted no time in pressing their corruption investigation of President Otto Perez Molina, persuading a judge to bar him from leaving the country just hours after a historic congressional vote to strip his immunity from prosecution.
Prosecutor Thelma Aldana called the travel ban a "precautionary" measure and said the president is suspected of illicit association, bribery and customs fraud in a corruption scandal that has already toppled his vice president and various Cabinet ministers. The next steps could include summoning Perez Molina to appear before a court or seeking a warrant for his detention.
Note
An earlier move to strip Perez Molina's immunity that was brought by an opposition lawmaker died in Congress. This latest motion was presented by prosecutors and the U.N. commission.
The congressional vote did not remove Perez Molina from office, though constitutional law expert Alejandro Balsells said it would be within a judge's power to suspend the president if he is ordered to jail as the case moves forward. No charges have yet been filed.
Uncovered by prosecutors and a U.N. commission probing criminal networks in Guatemala, the corruption scandal involved a scheme known as "La Linea," or "The Line," in which businesspeople paid bribes to avoid import duties through the customs agency. The ring is believed to have defrauded the state of millions of dollars.
The scandal has already claimed the job of former Vice President Roxana Baldetti, whose ex-personal secretary was named as the alleged ringleader. Baldetti resigned May 8 and is currently in jail awaiting trial on accusations she took millions of dollars in bribes.
Guatemalan prosecutors wasted no time in pressing their corruption investigation of President Otto Perez Molina, persuading a judge to bar him from leaving the country just hours after a historic congressional vote to strip his immunity from prosecution.
Prosecutor Thelma Aldana called the travel ban a "precautionary" measure and said the president is suspected of illicit association, bribery and customs fraud in a corruption scandal that has already toppled his vice president and various Cabinet ministers. The next steps could include summoning Perez Molina to appear before a court or seeking a warrant for his detention.
Note
An earlier move to strip Perez Molina's immunity that was brought by an opposition lawmaker died in Congress. This latest motion was presented by prosecutors and the U.N. commission.
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