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. - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Stevens