Imelda Marcos convicted of £154m fraud

IMELDA MARCOS was found guilty of corruption yesterday and handed a lengthy prison term in a rare conviction for the former Philippines first lady, who has been accused, with her late dictator husband, of embezzling billions of dollars from state coffers.

The special anti-graft Sandiganbayan court sentenced Marcos, 89, to serve six to 11 years in prison for each of the seven counts of violating an anticorruption law when she illegally funnelled about $200 million (£154 million) to Swiss foundations in the Seventies as the governor of Metropolitan Manila.

She is allowed to appeal against the ruling and can remain free on bail as long as the conviction is not final.

Ferdinand Marcos, who along with his cronies was accused of pilfering $10billion, fled with his family to the United Staes after a people’s uprising ended his 20-year rule in 1986.

Marcos died in 1989 while still in exile but his heirs later returned to Manila and have since staged a political comeback. Imelda Marcos is currently a congresswoman.

As a government official in her husband’s administration, Marcos was barred by law from having any outside financial interests, a restriction that included the Swiss foundations.

Marcos, in a written statement to reporters, said Manuel Lazaro, her lawyer, plans to lodge an appeal with the anti-graft court.