U.S. Embassy: Ex-Nicaraguan president to be tried in Florida

[Judi Lynn]

Posted on Wed, Aug. 24, 2005

U.S. Embassy: Ex-Nicaraguan president to be tried in Florida
Associated Press

MANAGUA, Nicaragua - Ex-Nicaraguan President Arnoldo Aleman faces civil trial in the United States along with his wife and other family members over allegations he stole money from the government, the U.S. Embassy said Wednesday.

Embassy spokesman Preeti Shah confirmed a report that first appeared in Wednesday editions of La Prensa newspaper. Court documents indicate the trial is scheduled to begin Sept. 6 in Miami before U.S. District Judge Federico Moreno in a civil forfeiture case.

A complaint filed by the U.S. government in 2003 alleges that certificates of deposit "were purchased with funds stolen from the Nicaraguan government" by Aleman and his former tax chief, Byron Jerez.

The certificates in U.S. banks total almost $700,000 and were issued in the name of Aleman or family members.

Nicaraguan prosecutors allege that Jerez diverted millions of dollars in government funds into assets in South Florida. Jerez is serving an eight-year prison term in Nicaragua.
(snip/...)

http://www.tallahassee.com/mld/tallahassee/news/state/12463659.htm

[Vogon_Glory]

1. I Hope Justice Is Done

I hope that justice is done and that the Nicaraguan government acquires control of the assets bought with the money stolen from the Nicaraguan people. Moreover, I hope that the Nicaraguan government can do something that our very own Banana Republican Party considers "Un-Amurrican" these days--that The Nicaraguan government be able to sell its new Florida real estate acquisitions and make a very nice profit, instead of taking pains to see to it that the government loses money, like Banana Republicans (aka the GOP) would do here in the US.