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Wednesday, December 2, 2015

Guinea's ex-leader pleads guilty to smuggling

An African Union general and former transitional president of Guinea has pleaded guilty in the US to smuggling tens of thousands of dollars into the country.
Prosecutors say Sekouba Konate, 51, tried to sneak more than $64,000 (£42,400), much of it hidden in luggage, into the US on a 2013 flight from Ethiopia to Dulles International Airport. 
Gen Konate served as interim leader of Guinea during the political turmoil in the West African state in 2010, and was later appointed by the African Union as its "high representative" in efforts to establish a standby force to intervene in conflicts in Africa.

He had been due to go on trial on Tuesday in a US court. Instead, he entered a guilty plea that could result in a prison sentence of up to five years, the Associated Press news agency reports.

According to a statement he signed as part of his plea, the general called the searches improper given his status as the former president of Guinea and commanding general of the African Union forces, court documents show, Reuters reports.


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