Ex-Peruvian president told to stay put
LIMA, Peru -- A Peruvian judge on Saturday barred recently resigned President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski from leaving the South American nation for 18 months while he's investigated in a money-laundering case.
The ruling came a day after congress accepted Kuczynski's resignation and swore in Vice President Martin Vizcarra as his successor.
Kuczynski, 79, is under investigation over $782,000 in payments his consulting firm received a decade ago from Odebrecht, the Brazilian construction giant at the heart of Latin America's biggest-ever bribery scandal. Some of the payments took place when Kuczynski was a government minister, raising questions about whether they were made in return for political favors.
The former Wall Street investor has denied any wrongdoing. He said the consulting firm, Westfield Capital, was then being managed by his business partner and that he paid taxes on all earnings from that era.
Odebrecht has admitted to paying $800 million in bribes to officials across Latin America including $29 million in Peru.
Former Catalan leader departs Finland
The former president of Catalonia, Carles Puigdemont, left Finland before authorities there could act on a request from Spain to arrest him in connection with the independence drive last year, his lawyer said.
Jaume Alonso-Cuevillas, the lawyer, confirmed the departure Saturday. Puigdemont will remain at the disposal of the authorities in Belgium, where he now lives, Spanish broadcaster LaSexta reported, citing Alonso-Cuevillas.
Finland received an extradition request on Friday from Spain, which also delivered additional documents to support an arrest, Kai Mykkanen, the country's interior minister, said by phone Saturday. An arrest warrant has been issued for Puigdemont, whose whereabouts are unknown.
A Spanish Supreme Court judge on Friday filed preliminary charges against 13 Catalan separatist leaders, including Puigdemont, for their part in the push to break away from Spain last year. Pablo Llarena said the separatist leadership should be charged with rebellion for holding an illegal referendum and declaring independence from the state.
Puigdemont fled to Brussels immediately after that declaration in October and has remained in self-imposed exile ever since.
Indian politician gets 14 years for theft
PATNA, India -- A powerful Indian politician was sentenced Saturday to 14 years in prison for embezzling $570,000 from a state government's treasury while he was the state's top elected official.
Lalu Prasad Yadav was convicted of embezzling the money to buy fictitious medicines and cattle fodder while he was chief minister of Bihar state from 1990 to 1997.
Eighteen former Bihar state officials, contractors and suppliers were sentenced in the case to jail terms ranging from 3½ to five years.
Yadav, who already has been convicted three times in related cases, also was fined $92,307.
Yadav, 69, who served as India's railways minister from 2004 to 2009, is barred from contesting elections. Earlier this month, he was moved to a hospital from prison after he complained of chest pains.
Corruption is endemic in Indian politics. Judges are now expediting trials of lawmakers accused of crimes including murder, fraud and extortion after a Supreme Court order to reach verdicts within one year in such cases. Indian lawmakers are now barred from running in elections if they are found guilty of offenses carrying a jail term of at least two years.
2 Egyptian policemen killed in bombing
CAIRO -- A bomb placed under a car exploded Saturday in the coastal city of Alexandria as the city security chief's convoy passed by, killing two policemen and wounding four others, the Interior Ministry said.
Media reports said Gen. Mostafa al-Nimr survived the explosion, and he was seen on a TV broadcast in good condition while inspecting the area of the blast shortly after it took place.
The Interior Ministry had earlier reported only one policeman killed in the blast that occurred in the vicinity of a police station in the central Roshdi district.
Health Ministry spokesman Khaled Megahed said that two policemen were killed and four others wounded in the explosion; one civilian also was wounded.
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.
The Interior Ministry said the explosive device had been placed under a car and it detonated as the convoy passed by.
The state-run Middle East News Agency said the public prosecutor has ordered an investigation into the attack.
A Section on 03/25/2018