Former Panama General Noriega
On Trial in France
PARIS - Former Panamanian general
Manuel Antonio Noriega was on trial in
France on Monday on money laundering charges
after serving 17 years in prison in the
United States, which used his overthrow to
justify its bloody 1989 invasion of Panama.
The 76-year-old former general, who ruled
Panama from 1981 to 1989, was extradited on
April 26 from the United States to France.
Noriega is on trial in a Paris court until
next Wednesday.
According to the Ministry of Justice, the
former Panamanian strongman has other
pending charges in France.
On July 1, 1999, the same French court
hearing his currrent case sentenced him in
absentia to 10 years in prison for
laundering 2.3 million euros allegedly from
drug trafficking.
Earlier this month, Panama asked France to
extradite Noriega to face trial in that
country on other charges. |
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