|
 MANAGUA, Nicaragua (AP) - A former president convicted of money laundering and embezzlement was freed from the conditions of his parole and allowed to travel around the country, a move critics said Saturday was a ploy by President Daniel Ortega to weaken the opposition.
Former president Arnoldo Aleman, who acknowledged last month he spent $1.8 million in government money on jewelry and meals while seeking hurricane aid abroad in 1998, was convicted in 2003 and sentenced to a 20-year prison term. He was later granted parole.
On Friday, the National Penitentiary System loosened the condition of Aleman's parole that had limited him to the capital, allowing him to travel throughout Nicaragua. Aleman embarked on a national tour Saturday to promote what he called reconciliation in the country.
|