GUATEMALA CITY (AFP) – Guatemala’s government said that it would file a lawsuit against former president Alejandro Giammattei, accusing him of abusing his authority by hiring a civil servant later sanctioned by the United States (US).
It would be the first criminal complaint filed by the government of President Bernardo Arevalo since he replaced his right-wing predecessor in January.
The lawsuit accuses Giammattei of “abuse of authority, influence peddling” and “failure to fulfill duties”, announced head of state planning agency SEGEPLAN Carlos Mendoza.
Mendoza said that in January 2021, Giammattei approved the hiring of Melvin Quijivix as an advisor to SEGEPLAN, a position that he never held, according to the government.
Two years later, Quijivix was sanctioned by Washington, which accused him of corruption.
Washington also banned Giammattei from entering the US after he left office due to what it called his “involvement in significant corruption”.
