Trial begins for Peru's Fujimori
Last Updated: Friday, October 12, 2007 | 11:53 PM ET
The Associated Press
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Peru's former president, Alberto Fujimori, went on trial Friday on charges of abusing his authority in 2000 at the end of his scandal-tainted government, the first of several legal battles he faces following his extradition from Chile last month.
His lawyer, Cesar Nakazaki, told reporters outside the Lima police base where the closed-door trial is being held that the former leader was calm and answered prosecutors' 30 questions "with clarity."
Fujimori is accused of abusing his power by allegedly ordering an illegal search of the apartment of the wife of his jailed former spy chief, Vladimiro Montesinos, to remove dozens of suitcases and boxes suspected of containing incriminating video and audio cassettes.
He faces up to seven years in prison, and Nakazaki said he expects a verdict within three weeks.
"No video was found," Nakazaki said. He did not specify whether Fujimori had ordered a search.
Fujimori, 69, faces three other trials, including a human rights trial scheduled to begin Nov. 26.
He faces a possible 30-year prison term and a $33-million US fine if convicted in the 1992 death-squad slayings of nine students and a professor at La Cantuta University, and the 1991 killings of 15 people in Lima's Barrios Altos neighborhood.
Fujimori fled to Japan seven years ago as his 1990-2000 authoritarian government collapsed in scandal, only to turn up in Chile in 2005 and reveal his ambition to run for Peru's presidency.
He was extradited to Peru on Sept 22.
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