Nicaragua ex-leader loses immunity

["Nello Margiotta" <animarg@tin.it>]

http://news.bbc.co.uk

There is widespread support for trying Aleman

The Nicaraguan Congress has voted to strip the former President, Arnoldo
Aleman, of immunity from prosecution. The motion was passed after members of
Mr Aleman's governing party joined the opposition in a 47-45 vote.
The former leader is being investigated for embezzlement of about $100m in
public funds.
He denies any wrongdoing.
 Mr Aleman served as president from 1997 until January of this year when his
deputy, Enrique Bolanos, took over pledging to clean up the country's
corrupt government.
The BBC's Nick Miles says the case has galvanised public opinion from all
sectors of Nicaraguan society - from the left-wing former Sandinista
President Daniel Ortega to Nicaragua's business community.
He says putting the former president on trial will be popular amongst
ordinary Nicaraguans - a recent poll suggested that up to 90% of them
supported the move.
In September, the former president was removed as head of Congress - after
half a million people had signed a petition urging lifting his immunity from
prosecution.
Nine members of Mr Aleman's governing Constitutionalist Liberal Party
supported the motion. The party holds the majority of the 92 seats in
Congress.
Nicaragua's attorney-general has accused Mr Aleman and 13 associates of
siphoning off almost $100m of public funds before he left office earlier
this year.
That is equal to the government budget for a whole year.
The government claims that Mr Aleman laundered the funds through front
companies and bank accounts in Panama and the Caribbean.

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Nello

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