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WORLD NEWSSaturday 5 March 2016
Murder trial of Suriname president resumes, then halts again
PIETER VAN MAELE dants despite a November tary dictator in the 1980s parliament. Two years later, place. Witnesses in the trial
Associated Press ruling to the contrary by avoided trial until Novem- lawmakers passed an am- have disputed that claim.
PARAMARIBO, Suriname the high court. He said that ber 2007 on charges stem- nesty law and proceed- In November, the Court of
(AP) — The long-stalled an amnesty law passed in ming from the abduction ings were put on hold in a Justice agreed with a chal-
murder trial of Suriname 2012 remains in force and and summary execution of decision that outraged hu- lenge to the applicability
President Desi Bouterse for could only be revoked by 15 prominent political op- man rights activists. Bout- of the amnesty law filed by
the deaths of political op- parliament or by conven- ponents, an event known erse, who was re-elected relatives of the slain oppo-
ponents in 1982 briefly re- ing a constitutional court. locally as the “Decem- by parliament last year, has nents and it directed the
convened Friday — only to “The law is hard, but it is the ber killings” that stunned accepted what he called attorney general to resume
be put on hold again until law,” Elgin said. The presid- the lightly populated na- “political responsibility” for proceedings.
at least May. Prosecutor ing judge, Cynthia Valstein- tion on the northern tip of the killings by the military of Hugo Essed, a lawyer for
Roy Elgin told the court that Montnor, said she would South America. The for- the well-known journalists, the families of the victims,
there were no legal bases rule on the argument on mer strongman returned lawyers and union leaders said there was no legal ba-
to proceed with the trial of May 6. Bouterse and 25 al- to power in 2010 when he but said he was not present sis to halt the case once
Bouterse and 25 co-defen- lies from his time as a mili- was elected president by when the executions took again. q
Brazilian police question ex-president in corruption probe
MAURICIO SAVARESE Brazil’s former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva speaks during a press conference at the Workers zilian reais ($8.12 million)
JENNY BARCHFIELD Party headquarters in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Friday, March 4, 2016. Brazilian police acting on a warrant in payments for speeches
Associated Press questioned the former president and searched his home and other properties, in the most recent and donations to the Insti-
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Bra- development yet in the sprawling corruption case at the oil giant Petrobras. tuto Lula by construction
zilian police pulled former firms that have been cru-
President Luiz Inacio Lula (AP Photo/Nelson Antoine) cial players in the Petro-
da Silva in for questioning bras corruption scheme.
and searched properties his nickname, suggested tions on three occasions In a statement, Silva’s suc- They were also looking
connected to the leader that the country’s elite is out and would have done so cessor, President Dilma into whether renovations
and his family on Friday, to “criminalize the Work- again without a police es- Rousseff, expressed her and other work at a coun-
drawing the country’s most ers’ Party, criminalize Lula cort, if asked. “total non-conformity” with try house and beachfront
towering political figure (since) they could want to “I felt like a prisoner this the police action, which apartment used by Silva
closer to the sprawling cor- continue in power.” morning,” he said. “I think she called “unnecessary.” and his family constituted
ruption case centered on Silva said he already an- I deserved more respect Officials said they were favors in exchange for po-
the oil giant Petrobras. swered investigators’ ques- than that.” looking into 30 million Bra- litical benefit.
Police turned up early Fri- “No one is exempt from in-
day at addresses belong- vestigation in this country,”
ing to Silva, including his said public prosecutor Car-
residence near Sao Paulo los Fernando dos Santos
and the Instituto Lula, his Lima. “Anyone in Brazil is
nonprofit organization. subject to be investigated
Acting on a summons, po- when there are indications
lice took Silva to the fed- of a crime.”
eral police station at Sao The so-called Car Wash in-
Paulo’s Congonhas airport, vestigation targets a cor-
where he was questioned ruption scheme at Petro-
for about four hours and re- bras which saw construc-
leased. tion companies and oth-
Silva reacted with indigna- ers pay billions in bribes to
tion, denying any wrong- score contracts from the
doing and saying the Petro- oil company. It already has
bras corruption case has ensnared some of Brazil’s
become a political witch richest and most powerful
hunt targeting him and his businessmen, as well as top
governing Workers’ Party. politicians from across the
Silva, referring to himself by political spectrum.q
Deadly prison unrest in Guyana ends in truce with inmates
BERT WILKINSON Georgetown. Public Secu- more than an hour. erally causing disturbances prisoners remained hospi-
Associated Press rity Minister Khemraj Ram- Authorities agreed to im- at the facility in the heart talized. Ramjattan said the
GEORGETOWN, Guyana jattan and State Minister prove the food and in- of the city. “This was a very board would also look into
(AP) — Prisoners in the Joseph Harmon met with a crease the number of useful meeting with the overcrowding and other
capital of Guyana agreed dozen prisoners, who said telephone calls allowed to prisoners,” Harmon said. “A conditions at the facility.
Friday to end disturbances their fellow inmates would families and to work with prison is not a five-star hotel Officials say the unrest be-
that led to the deaths of 17 agree to stand down in ex- the judiciary to speed up but we have to have some gan Wednesday when in-
inmates in a fire after the change for basic improve- trials for prisoners who often minimum standards.” mates set fires during a riot
government agreed to im- ments, officials said. wait years for their cases to The government has set up as guards seized drugs, cell-
prove conditions in the fa- “We have agreed to keep be heard, Ramjattan said. a board of inquiry to look phones and other items.
cility. The truce followed a our end of the bargain and In turn, the prisoners agreed into the circumstances of On Friday, before the truce,
third straight day of unrest they have agreed to keep to cease rioting, setting fires the deadly fire on Thursday. five police officers and
inside what is known locally theirs,” Harmon said after to beds, hurling rocks and Authorities raised the death guards were hospitalized
as the Camp Street Prison in meeting with prisoners for objects at guards and gen- toll to 17. At least seven after clashes with prisoners.
