Former Mexican Governor arrested for corruption

(Vatican Radio) A Mexican former State Governor accused of massive corruption and organized crime has been arrested in neighbouring Guatemala. James Blears with the details.

Listen to James Blears report: 

Dishevelled and unkempt,  former Governor of Vera Cruz Javier Duarte was arrested in the lobby of a hotel in the town of Panajackel, 130 kms West of Guatemala City.  According to the Mexican Attorney General`s Office,  Interpol helped in locating him.  Mexico`s Foreign Ministry is now seeking his extradition.

Governor from 2006 until October of last year, Duarte disappeared then, without completing his  term. In that same month he was expelled from the Institutional Revolutionary Party- PRI.  Auditors investigating vastly depleted coffers, say it`s one of the worst cases of misappropriation of funds for many years.  Businesses and properties have been seized by investigators, who`ve also frozen more than one hundred bank accounts.  

Duarte is likely to legally try and resist extradition, but sooner or later he`ll be returned to Mexico to stand trial for a legion of alleged crimes, mostly involving graft.