Alvaro Colom, the present president of Guatemala has authorized the extradition to the United States of his predecessor Alfonso Portillo. New York prosecutors accused Mr. Portillo of laundering millions of dollars in Guatemalan public funds by using US bank accounts.

A Guatemalan court has already cleared Mr. Portillo of embezzlement charges. He was the president of Guatemala from 2000 to 2004. According to Guatemalan law, Mr. Portillo had to be tried in his own country before being extradited abroad.

Guatemalan President Alvaro Colom stated that he would allow the extradition because the president should not put his hand on the decisions of judges and magistrates. Guatemala’s Constitutional Court had ratified the extradition in August.

The total amount he is accused of laundering can be amounted as $70m (£44m). His extradition is requested by a federal grand jury in New York since January.

The jury accused Mr. Portillo of embezzling Guatemalan public funds and hiding the money in offshore accounts. Though he came to office by promising to redistribute wealth, his opponents always claimed that his administration was one of the most corrupt in the recent history of Guatemala.

After completing his term in 2004, Mr. Portillo left for Mexico. But in 2008, he was extradited to Guatemala to stand trial on charges he stole $15m from the military in 2001. However, he was cleared of those charges in May.

US to extradite former Guatemalan president

Report by Indrani Chowdury