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Court eases sentence for Nicaraguan ex-president

Posted on: Tuesday, 30 August 2005, 21:00 CDT

MANAGUA (Reuters) - Nicaragua's Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday that former President Arnoldo Aleman, serving a 20-year sentence for fraud, can leave his home and move at will around the nation's capital.

It was the second time Aleman's sentence has been modified since his 2003 conviction. Last December he was allowed to leave his jail cell to serve his time at his plantation outside Managua due to ill health.

His attorneys had sought to expand that privilege to give him freedom to move around the capital based on chronic health care needs. A lower court granted that petition but the ruling was overturned by an appeals court.

On Tuesday the Supreme Court upheld the original ruling granting Aleman the right to freely travel around Managua and the immediate area, though he still cannot go elsewhere.

Aleman, known as "Fat Man" for his girth as well as his lifestyle while president, was convicted of money laundering, misuse of funds and other crimes during his 1997-2002 term. He is appealing the conviction.

The government of President Enrique Bolanos, who once was Aleman's vice president and then became his chief accuser after succeeding him as president, said the ruling was engineered by Aleman's political allies on the court.

Aleman is the first ex-president convicted of a crime and was targeted by Bolanos' administration in a crackdown on corruption.

The criminal case caused a rift in the Liberal Party, which turned its back on Bolanos although he had won the presidency on the party ticket. The party remains the main force in the National Assembly and faithful to Aleman.

Bolanos has been increasingly isolated since the corruption case and beset by crisis. Lawmakers are deciding whether to lift his immunity so he can face election fraud charges.

State regulators have accused him of failing to disclose the origin of campaign funds. Bolanos says he has provided the information and the charges are motivated by partisanship.

Source: REUTERS

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