They send a former leader of the Leader to the prison of the Mariscal Zavala military barracks
The former presidential candidate of the extinct Leader party, Manuel Baldizón, who was deported this Wednesday, October 5 by the United States after serving a sentence for money laundering, He heard the reasons for his arrest during the hearing in the Criminal Court on Duty.
The judge on duty decided to send Baldizón to the prison of the Mariscal Zavala military barracks and ordered that, For safety, stay in the isolated sector of the mayor’s office.
Baldizón heard the reason for his arrest in the Odebrecht case and in another room he heard the reason for the Transurbano case.
It was the Criminal Judge on Duty, Carol Patricia Flores, who led the hearing for the Transurbano case.
Baldizón’s first statement hearing for the Transurbano case was scheduled for Friday, October 7, in the Second Criminal Court of First Instance.
Baldizón faces accusations of corruption in the Odebrecht and Transurbano cases, for which the Public Ministry indicates that he has committed the crimes of active bribery, money laundering, illicit association, illicit electoral financing and unregistered electoral financing.
Also read: Baldizón: drug trafficking, money laundering and the other keys to the accusation that the US made against the ex-presidential leader
Baldizón arrived at the tarmac of the Guatemalan Air Force, on a deported flight from Arizona, United States, jalong with another 130 people, according to the Guatemalan Migration Institute (IGM).
At the time of his landing, Baldizón was transferred by dozens of police from the security forces to the court tower of the Guatemalan Judicial Organism.
Baldizón had a pending arrest warrant accused of money laundering in a corruption scheme involving the Brazilian construction company Odebrecht, for allegedly benefiting from US$12 million illegally.
In addition, Baldizón is accused of illicitly financing his 2015 electoral campaign, with US$10 million that would have been diverted from a state transportation company.
The Guatemalan politician pleaded guilty in 2019 to money laundering in the United States and was sentenced to more than four years in prison, after being detained at the Miami airport in 2018.
Also read: Manuel Baldizón: former presidential candidate is deported from the US and captured upon arrival in Guatemala
Regarding his case, the Florida Prosecutor’s Office said in 2019 that Baldizón “accepted campaign contributions” to seek the presidency of Guatemala “knowing that they were being carried out by drug traffickers and that they were profits from drug trafficking.”
Baldizón, 52, emerged into Guatemalan politics in 2003, allegedly as a successful hotel entrepreneur in the north of the country, and was a deputy between 2004 and 2011.
After his deportation, the High Risk Court “D” must prosecute Baldizón and decide if he is sent to preventive detention while his legal situation is resolved.
With information from EFE
