Guatemalan ex-president Portillo absolved

An appeals court has upheld a decision that absolved former President Alfonso Portillo of charges that he stole $15 million from Guatemala's Defense Department, bringing an end to the case.

The appeals court announced its decision late Tuesday.

In 2011, a Guatemalan court ruled that prosecutors failed to prove through documents or witnesses that Portillo was personally involved in embezzling the Defense Department's funds while he governed the country from 2000 to 2004.


Source: Associated Press