Guatemala court orders UN anti-graft chief be readmitted

Sonia Perez D., Associated Press
Updated 10:26 pm CDT, Sunday, September 16, 2018

GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — The Constitutional Court ordered President Jimmy Morales late Sunday to allow the head of a U.N.-backed anti-corruption commission to return to Guatemala, dealing a blunt rebuke to the leader who has sought in recent weeks to defang the body and its work.

The unanimous ruling by the court's five magistrates marked the second time in as many years that the court has reversed Morales' efforts to keep commission chief Ivan Velasquez out of Guatemala. Velasquez has pressed a number of high-profile graft probes, including one that is pending against the president himself.

There was no immediate public reaction from the president. His spokesman, Alfredo Brito, did not immediately respond to phone calls seeking comment.

Morales announced in late August that he would not renew the mandate of the commission for another two-year term, effectively giving it a year to wind down and end its activities.

More:
https://www.chron.com/news/crime/article/Guatemala-court-orders-UN-anti-graft-chief-be-13234169.php