New York: Guatemala`s President Alvaro Colom said he will extradite ex-president Alfonso Portillo to the US if a court orders him to be sent for trial on charges of laundering USD 1.5 million intended to buy school library books.
Colom yesterday said the United States asked for 40 days to document the case of money laundering and the government is "going to respect the request”.
Authorities said Portillo, who led the country from 2000 to 2004, was arrested at a beach on January 26 as he prepared to flee Guatemala by boat.
The previous day, a US indictment was unsealed in federal court in New York charging him with embezzling USD 1.5 million donated by Taiwan, depositing the money in Miami and then allegedly transferring it to a Paris account in the name of his ex-wife and daughter. It also alleges he conspired with two members of the Guatemalan military in 2001 to embezzle millions from the government and used some of the money to buy expensive cars and watches.
Portillo has denied the allegations and his lawyer, Telesforo Guerra, said he will fight to enforce a 2008 law that requires suspects be tried for charges they face in Guatemala before being extradited. Portillo is on trial in Guatemala on different embezzlement charges.
PTI
