GUATEMALAN LAWMAKERS REDUCE PUNISHMENT FOR CAMPAIGN CRIMES
Sep 13, 9:05 PM EDT
GUATEMALAN LAWMAKERS REDUCE PUNISHMENT FOR CAMPAIGN CRIMES
BY SONIA PEREZ D.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
GUATEMALA CITY (AP) -- Guatemala's Congress approved legislation reducing the punishment for campaign-finance crimes Wednesday, two days after blocking prosecutors and a U.N. anti-corruption commission from investigating President Jimmy Morales for alleged irregularities during the election that brought him to office.
Lawmakers voted to reduce the maximum sentence from 12 to 10 years and to permit the decade in prison to be commuted with a fine.
Critics called the changes an attempt to protect the president and his allies.
"The politicians are protecting themselves and are not measuring the consequences," said lawyer and columnist Carlos Ovalle.
More:
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/L/LT_GUATEMALA_CORRUPTION?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2017-09-13-21-05-38
LBN:
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10141866428