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Derechos | Equipo Nizkor
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Derechos | Equipo Nizkor
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29Aug15
Bid to lift Guatemala president's immunity advances in Congress
A Guatemalan congressional committee on Saturday recommended that President Otto Perez be stripped of immunity from prosecution over his suspected involvement in a customs racket, paving the way for a full vote in Congress in the coming days.
The five-member congressional committee told a news conference that Congress could vote on their recommendation as early as Tuesday. Presidential immunity can be lifted with a vote in favor by at least two-thirds of the 158-member Congress.
That vote will be closely watched after the Guatemalan Supreme Court on Tuesday approved a request by Guatemala's attorney general to impeach the president.
If Congress votes to lift his immunity, the Supreme Court then turns the matter to prosecutors, who would then able to bring charges against him in court.
Perez, a 64-year-old retired general, survived an earlier attempt this month to strip his immunity, when that motion drew only 88 votes, short of the two-thirds needed.
Perez is accused of participating in a customs scam, known as La Linea, whereby importers avoided paying customs duties in exchange for bribes. He has denied the allegations and said that he will not resign.
[Source: Reuters, Guatemala City, 29Aug15]
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 | This document has been published on 31Aug15 by the Equipo Nizkor and Derechos Human Rights. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. |