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WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2001

Two Venezuelan attorneys on Tuesday said Vladimiro Montesinos owes them $60,000 for a private plane trip which helped Peru's troubled ex-spy chief enter their country.

After an eight-month manhunt Montesinos was caught in Venezuela. President Hugo Chavez cheered the capture but some believe his administration helped protect Montesinos.

Montesinos is being held in a Peruvian prison and faces a number of corruption and bribery charges. He was the intelligence minister under exiled former President Alberto Fujimori, who now lives in Japan and has been granted Japanese citizenship.

Fujimori's brother-in-law, Victor Aritomi, has also been granted citizenship. Peru has an international arrest warrant out on Aritomi, alleging he was present when Fujimori gave $15 million to Montesinos last year.

Aritomi had relinquished his Japanese citizenship to work for Fujimori. He is married to Fujimori's sister, who was also granted citizenship.

Peru also wants Fujimori back on corruption charges. But Japan has no extradition treaty with Peru so sending Fujimori back is unlikely at this point.

Get the Story:
Venezuelan attorneys say they helped Montesinos during flight from Peru (AP 7/17)
Japan grants citizenship to brother-in-law of ex-Peruvian President Fujimori (AP 7/18)

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