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Noriega Can be Extradited to France, Judge Rules
By Brian Monroe
printFormer Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega can be extradited to France to face money laundering charges after he finishes a U.S. prison sentence early next month on a 1992 drug trafficking conviction, a U.S. judge ruled Tuesday. The widely expected ruling by U.S. Magistrate Judge William Turnoff follows a judicial order Friday that denied an attempt by Noriega to block the extradition. French authorities are seeking to prosecute Noriega for allegedly laundering more than $3.15 million through banks in that country and using some of the money to buy luxury apartments. Noriega was convicted of the charges in absentia in 1999,...
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