Raul Salinas Exonerated: Judge Declares Salinas Innocent, Attorney General Appeals

Raul Salinas de Gortari was exonerated by a federal judge in Mexico this week for embezzling money that eventually accrued him a fortune of 224 million pesos. Carlos Lopez Cruz, District Judge 13 Federal Criminal Proceedings in the Federal District declared that Salinas, brother of infamous former Mexican President Carlos Salinas de Gortari, was not criminally responsible for the commission of the offense. The Mexican Attorney General, however, begs to differ and has since appealed, Sin Embargo reported.

The institution challenged the ruling beforethe deadline required to object to such decisions. A unitary court will now decide whether to ratify, modify or revoke the decision. Another person who was acquitted of the same charges was Juan Manuel Gutierrez. He was believed to have been used as a strawman in the Salinas brothers case. El Milenio reported that the decision had been made July 19, and it also demands that items that were seized from Raul Salinas' home April 2, 1996 be returned. At least 24 of his seized properties are in Mexico City, with the rest being in the State of Mexico, Guerrero, Jalisco, Morelos, Queretaro, Oaxaca, Baja California Sur and Puebla. The National Bank Securities Commission must also thaw six of his bank accounts.