Peru president fires justice minister amid scandal

[Judi Lynn]

Peru president fires justice minister amid scandal
Tue Mar 16, 10:06 pm ET

LIMA, Peru – President Alan Garcia fired Peru's justice minister Tuesday amid questions over the pardoning of a former media executive convicted of taking payoffs to provide favorable coverage for a previous government.

Officials gave reporters a decree signed by Garcia that removed Aurelio Pastor from the post.

Some media outlets and opposition politicians had called for Pastor's resignation for defending the release from prison of 77-year-old Jose Enrique Crousillat, the ex-majority owner of America Television's Channel 4.

Crousillat was sentenced in 2006 to eight years in prison for taking payoffs from now-jailed intelligence chief Vladimiro Montesinos to run favorable news about President Alberto Fujimori in the 1990s.

Crousillat complained of heart problems and was granted a presidential pardon for humanitarian reasons in December. But following his release, Crousillat was seen in apparently good health in restaurants and exclusive beaches in Lima.

More:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100317/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/lt_peru_justice_minister

http://laht.com.nyud.net:8090/Peru2/aureliopastor.jpg

Aurelio Pastor

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Jose Enrique Crousillat, the ex-majority owner of America Television's Channel 4