More House Arrest For Ex-President Calderón

FORMER President Rafael Ángel Calderón (1990-1994) will remain under house arrest for five more months, awaiting trial on corruption charges, the Judicial Branch announced Wednesday. His preventive term would have expired yesterday.Calderón, 55, is accused of masterminding the distribution of a $9.2 million “commission” on a medical equipment purchase by the Social Security System (Caja).He was arrested in October 2004 (TT, Oct. 22, 2004) and since then has served a series of preventive detention orders – both in his home in the eastern San José suburb of Curridabat, and in the penitentiary La Reforma.Fellow ex-President Miguel Ángel Rodríguez (1998-2002) was also arrested in October 2004 in connection with a separate corruption case. He remains under house arrest as well.Under the terms of their detention, neither former head of state is allowed to leave the country or communicate with other suspects in their cases. Only doctors, lawyers, family members or other visitors approved by a judge can visit their homes.