Quito: Ecuador`s National Court of Justice sentenced former president Jamil Mahuad to 12 years in jail for embezzlement, media reported Friday.
The court said Thursday in its Twitter account that Mahuad`s crime "had caused enormous social consequences that Ecuador continues to suffer to this date", Xinhua reported.
Mahuad, who is now living in the US and teaching at Harvard University, faces a remand order issued by the court for a trial over embezzlement.
The 64-year-old politician, who was elected president of Ecuador in 1998, was forced to resign in January 2000 after a week of demonstrations by Ecuadorians and a military revolt.
Mahuad has rejected the indictment, arguing that the case against him was politically manipulated.