Pubdate: Thu, 26 Jul 2001
Source: Los Angeles Times (CA)
Copyright: 2001 Los Angeles Times
Contact:  http://www.latimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/248
Author: Associated Press
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/coke.htm (Cocaine)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/corrupt.htm (Corruption)

FORMER FUJIMORI OFFICIALS ARRESTED

LIMA, Peru -- Police have arrested two former high-level officials from 
disgraced ex-president Alberto Fujimori's administration on corruption charges.

Former Attorney General Blanca Nelida Colan was arrested Wednesday on 
charges of cover-up, perjury, official negligence and illicit enrichment, a 
judicial spokeswoman said.

Jose Portillo, former head of Peru's election board, was arrested in 
connection with the alleged forgery of 1 million signatures to help 
Fujimori's coalition qualify to run in elections last year, the spokeswoman 
said.

Fujimori won re-election in a vote marred by fraud allegations. He later 
fled to his parents' native Japan in November as corruption scandals 
involving ex-spymaster Vladimiro Montesinos ended his 10-year rule.

Colan, once considered a close ally of Montesinos, is thought to have 
quashed or shelved several criminal investigations aimed at the former 
intelligence chief.

In 1996, she ignored testimony from a high-profile cocaine trafficker that 
he had paid Montesinos $50,000 a month in exchange for use of a jungle air 
strip to ferry out shipments of raw cocaine.

Montesinos was arrested last month in Venezuela. He has reportedly 
cooperated with prosecutors and judges who are investigating the reputed 
web of corruption he wove while serving as Fujimori's top adviser.
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MAP posted-by: Larry Stevens