Panamanian court drops money laundering charges against former Nicaraguan president

Panama charges dropped against ex-Nicaragua leader

PANAMA CITY — A Panamanian court has dropped money laundering charges against former Nicaraguan President Arnoldo Aleman.

The court has ruled that the case against Aleman violated his right to only be tried for a crime once.

The court argued the charges against Aleman were similar to charges he has faced in Nicaragua. The July 2 decision was released to The Associated Press on Friday.

Aleman had been accused of using bank accounts in Panama to launder about $58 million allegedly stolen from Nicaraguan government coffers. He denied the charges.

In January, Nicaragua’s Supreme Court overturned Aleman’s conviction for money laundering, but an appeals court later reopened three cases against him.

Aleman governed from 1997-2001.