Guatemala detains former VP Roxana Baldetti, who resigned as graft scandal

Baldetti resigned in May amid a public outcry over her suspected involvement in the customs service scandal.

Prosecutors and members of the UN commission investigation the fraud later announced they had also found that President Perez Molina was directly involved in a scheme to reduce importers’ customs duties in exchange for bribes.

The corruption ring allegedly was led by Baldetti’s private secretary.

Perez, whose term ends in January, can not run in the September 6 elections. Her arrest came a day after her house was searched.

The judge in the case had already ordered her bank accounts frozen and slapped injunctions on 11 properties belonging to her and her husband.

The investigation, launched in May past year, was based on some 66,000 wire-tapped phone calls that uncovered a scheme dubbed “La Linea” (the line), named for the hotline used by businesses to contact the corrupt network of customs officers.

Velasquez said the taped calls included references to “Number One” and “Number Two”, which investigators had determined to be Perez and Baldetti.

“This has been a very complex investigation that still requires a lot of analysis, and we are continuing to collect evidence”, Velasquez said. Guatemalans have been taking to the streets around the country demanding Perez Molina’s resignation, justice and systemic change on a weekly basis since April.

Guatemala has been rocked by months of weekly street protests calling for Perez Molina’s resignation as the ongoing probe enveloped more government officials.

A congressional investigative committee called for his presidential immunity to be lifted, but lawmakers rejected the measure earlier this month.

The CICIG’s findings have also hit the center-right opposition Lider party, whose election candidate Manuel Baldizon is leading opinion polls.

The country’s central bank president, tax chief and head of the social security institute have been jailed this year for their alleged roles in corruption cases.

Ms Baldetti was arrested in hospital in Guatemala City after being admitted with an unspecified health issue.