Key witness in Argentine troubadour’s death found guilty of money laundering

Henry Fariñas, the target of the attack that killed Argentine folk singer Facundo Cabral, was found guilty on money laundering charges by a criminal court in Nicaragua Wednesday evening.

Judge Adela Cardoza said Fariñas and 21 other people are guilty of crimes including laundering money, organized crime and drug trafficking. She issued the ruling late Wednesday after a month-long trial. Their sentences are pending.

Prosecutors say members of a drug trafficking gang believed Fariñas, a Nicaraguan businessman, had betrayed them. The gang members attempted to kill him as he accompanied Cabral after a July 2011 concert in Guatemala, which Fariñas had organized.

Fariñas survived a gunshot wound in the attack, allegedly perpetrated by thugs paid by former business partner Costa Rican Alejandro Jiménez, aka “El Palidejo” (paleface), who is being held in Guatemala and being tried for the murder of Cabral.

Despite the verdict, Fariñas has maintained his innocence.