WORLD BRIEFING / PERU
Former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori was convicted of embezzlement and sentenced to 7 1/2 years in prison after he admitted illegally paying his spy chief $15 million in government funds.
Fujimori, 70, sat expressionless before the three-judge panel as the verdict and sentence were read. He then told the court that he was moving to nullify the ruling and walked out of the courtroom.
The conviction was the third in less than two years for the ex-leader. He was sentenced in April to 25 years in prison for authorizing military death squads during his 10-year rule. Earlier, he was convicted of abuse of power and sentenced to six years for an illegal search.
Last week, Fujimori acknowledged making the irregular payment to intelligence chief Vladimiro Montesinos, but he said he should not be held criminally responsible because he later repaid it with money found in the headquarters of Montesinos’ feared agency.
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