Guatemala’s congress has voted to strip
embattled President Otto Perez’s immunity, clearing the way for him to
be prosecuted over allegations he masterminded a massive corruption
scheme.
The resolution was passed unanimously on
Monday by the 132 politicians present, who had faced virulent demands
from protesters to make the president face trial over the alleged
multimillion-dollar fraud scheme at the national customs service.
After months of unprecedented protests
that have swept Guatemala, hundreds of demonstrators outside congress
erupted into jubilant cheers at the news, as passing drivers honked
their horns in celebration.
The vote clears the way for prosecutors
to charge Perez, a 64-year-old retired general, with running a scheme
that allowed businesses to reduce their customs duty by paying bribes to
corrupt officials.
Under Guatemalan law, he will be automatically removed from office if remanded in custody by a judge.
Perez’s lawyers filed a motion on Monday
challenging the immunity vote before the Constitutional Court, which is
expected to rule by Thursday.
The 132 votes in favour were well clear of the two-thirds majority needed for the motion to pass in the 158-member legislature.
0 comments:
Post a Comment