Guatemala in Pursuit of Ex-Leader
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GUATEMALA CITY — A judge issued an arrest warrant Tuesday for former President Alfonso Portillo in connection with the alleged misuse of millions of dollars during his tenure.
Portillo, whose four-year term ended in January 2004, fled to Mexico as the corruption scandal grew.
Portillo is accused of authorizing the transfer of $16 million from the finance department to the defense department.
Investigators allege that much of the total was converted to cash and pocketed by officials close to Portillo.
Atty. Gen. Juan Luis Florido said the government didn’t plan to immediately seek his extradition. “We want to have all the documentation so that there’s no error when we present it” to Mexico, Florido said.
Portillo lives outside Mexico City, where he is an advisor to a construction materials distributor owned by a friend.
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