The Tribubal de Hacienda in the Segundo Circuito Penal de San José in Goicoechea on Wednesday read the sentence against Rodriguez and the eight other defendants: eight guilty, one acquitted.

The former president is also banned from leaving the country until the court decision is firm as a precautionary measure.

The Ministerio Público had asked for the maximum sentence of 7 years against Rodriguez. However, the three judges decided on the lower sentence for the role of "instigator" in demanding a bribe from the French telecommunication firm in the awarding of the contract to install 400.000 GSM cellular lines in 2001.

In October 2009, former president Rafael Ángel Calderón Fournier was sentenced to 5 years in prison for two counts of embezzlement in the Caja-Fischel case. Calderón is still free while he is appealing the conviction.


 

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