The CICIG also went after President Jimmy Morales, who said in August he would not renew the organization’s mandate, which was due to expire in September 2019. Days later, he banned CICIG head Ivan Velasquez, a hard-charging Colombian prosecutor, from re-entering the country. Working with the then-attorney general, CICIG tried to prosecute Morales, a former comedian, in 2017 over alleged campaign finance violations. “The Secretary-General recalls the important contribution of CICIG to the fight against impunity in Guatemala,” it said. Last month, Guatemala’s government revoked visas and immunity for 11 CICIG investigators and two relatives.

Source: Dhaka Tribune January 08, 2019 03:45 UTC