The United States plans to return to Peru $20 million stolen by a corrupt government official and stashed in U.S. bank accounts. Officials will announce the return of the money on Monday, shortly after President Bush and U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell arrive in the northern Mexican city of Monterrey for the Special Summit of the Americas. The announcement comes a month after the United States signed the U.N. Convention Against Corruption, which requires countries to cooperate in investigations and return funds to the countries where they were stolen. Dozens of other countries have also signed the U.N. treaty. In December, Peru accused Victor Venero Garrido of hiding the money in U.S. accounts under the guidance of Vladimiro Montesinos. Montesinos, former President Alberto Fujimori’s intelligence chief, is charged with stealing hundreds of millions of dollars from the government. Montesinos is imprisoned and faces some 60 charges ranging from influence peddling to drug trafficking and arms smuggling.
This is yet another unilateral move by the evil Bush admin ... no wait, they’re upholding international law yet again. |