Costa Rican ex-president convicted of embezzlement, sentenced to 5 years in jail

October 5th, 2009 Costa Rican court: Ex-president embezzled fundsSAN JOSE, Costa Rica — A former Costa Rican president was convicted and sentenced to five years in prison Monday for embezzling funds from a Finnish loan intended for medical equipment for public hospitals. Rafael Calderon, who was president from 1990-1994, was accused of receiving $520,000 from a 2004 Finnish government loan to Costa Rica's social security system.

September 21st, 2009 SAN JOSE - Ten Costa Rican police officers have been arrested for aiding Colombian drug traffickers, authorities said. Costa Rica's Drug Control Police (PCD) have also arrested three Colombian nationals who were allegedly involved in the crime along the Pacific coast.

September 13th, 2009 54 US-bound migrants detained at Costa Rican coastSAN JOSE, Costa Rica — Costa Rican authorities detained 54 U.S.-bound migrants from Africa and Nepal after their boat arrived on the Central American country's coast, officials said Sunday. Authorities were treating some of the migrants for dehydration after several days at sea and took into custody three suspected Colombian smugglers who were traveling with them, said Sergio Lopez, a spokesman for Costa Rica's security ministry.

September 8th, 2009 UK man sent to jail for planning racist attacksLONDON — A judge has sentenced a racist who planned to attack people he considered "non-British" to at least six years in jail for terrorist offenses. Neil Lewington was convicted in July of possessing explosives and preparing for acts of terrorism.

September 2nd, 2009 Taiwan court convicts former first lady of perjuryTAIPEI, Taiwan — The wife and adult children of Taiwan's former president were convicted of perjury and sentenced to prison for lying to investigators in a high-profile corruption case against the ex-leader. The wider case against former President Chen Shui-bian tests the Taiwanese government's resolve to crack down on corruption — and the credibility of its justice system.

August 25th, 2009 Nicaragua to dredge border river with Costa RicaMANAGUA, Nicaragua — Nicaragua will reroute a river on the border with Costa Rica that has been at the center of a lengthy dispute between the two Central American countries, the Nicaraguan government announced Tuesday. Eden Pastora, president of the committee for development of the San Juan River, said the dredging project will begin at the end of September and cost $1 million.

July 20th, 2009 Fujimori sentenced to 7 1/2 years for embezzlementLIMA, Peru — Former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori was convicted of embezzlement and sentenced to 7 1/2 years in prison Monday after he admitted illegally paying his spy chief $15 million in government funds. Fujimori sat expressionless in front of the three-judge panel as the verdict and sentence were read.

July 2nd, 2009 NEW YORK — A man extradited from Romania in a plot to sell weapons to Colombian militants has been sentenced in New York City to 25 years in prison. Federal Judge Jed Rakoff sentenced Tareq Mousa al Ghazi on Wednesday.

June 28th, 2009 Honduran president in Costa Rica after arrestSAN JOSE, Costa Rica — A high-ranking official says that Honduran President Manuel Zelaya is in Costa Rica following his detention by soldiers in his homeland. The official at the Costa Rican president's office was not authorized to be quoted by name.

June 25th, 2009 HONG KONG - A Hong Kong language tutor was Thursday facing jail after being convicted of using threats to force a 14-year-old girl pupil into having sex with him. Gary Siu Cheuk-ming, 27, lured the girl who attended his private Japanese lessons to a meeting in a hostel after claiming he could get modelling work for her and filmed her naked.

May 14th, 2009 Man convicted in scheme to buy, sell body partsLOS ANGELES — A man has been convicted in a lucrative scheme to buy and sell human body parts donated to a University of California medical school. A jury found Ernest Nelson of Rancho Cucamonga guilty of conspiracy to commit grand theft, grand theft by embezzlement and tax evasion.

May 11th, 2009 US reporter leaves jail in Iran, lawyer saysTEHRAN, Iran — A lawyer for a U.S. journalist jailed in Iran says she has been freed from prison after an appeals court suspended her eight-year jail sentence.

March 30th, 2009 PATNA - Hina Sahab, wife of jailed Siwan MP Mohammad Shahabuddin, Monday filed her nomination papers as the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) candidate from the Siwan constituency. She was accompanied by Railways Minister and RJD chief Lalu Prasad and hundreds of party workers and supporters, who shouted slogans in support of her husband Shahabuddin, currently lodged in Siwan jail.

March 25th, 2009 PATNA - In a final blow to Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Mohammed Shahabuddin's election hopes, the Patna High Court Tuesday dismissed his plea to suspend his conviction in a criminal case so that he can contest the Lok Sabha election. A division bench of the court dismissed Shahabuddin's plea after hearing the case.

February 13th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Delhi High Court will Monday hear a plea from Rashtriya Janta Dal (RJD) MP from Bihar Mohammed Shahabuddin, currently in jail facing life imprisonment, seeking permission to attend parliament. Shahabuddin, who is in Siwan jail, filed the petition to attend the Feb 16-26 session.