Former Nicaraguan President Arnoldo Aleman has been convicted of fraud, money laundering and misuse of public funds and sentenced to 20 years in prison and fined.
District Judge Juana Mendez handed down the verdict on Sunday and said Aleman will remain under house arrest at his ranch south of Managua pending a new medical examination.
Aleman (57), known locally as "Fat Man" for his girth as well as his lifestyle, ruled the Central American nation from 1997 to 2002. He is the first ex-president to be convicted of a crime.
His lawyer said the verdict was engineered by the Sandinista opposition and said Aleman would appeal within five days. It appeared the fine amounted to around $20,000, though the exact amount was unclear.
Nicaragua's attorney general accused Aleman and 13 members of his family and former administration of diverting nearly $100 million in public funds for personal use during his term.
Mendez found he had taken some $8 million from the treasury, part of it to buy a helicopter he rented out to government agencies. The money was transferred into bank accounts of legal businesses and "paper" companies outside the country, she said.
The case against the right-wing Aleman was part of an anti-corruption campaign by President Enrique Bolanos, who served as vice president for Aleman during much of his term.
Aleman was initially placed under house arrest after he was stripped of parliamentary immunity as a member of the Congress in December 2002. He was jailed in August of this year before being released to house arrest last month due to illness.