Argentine ex-president Carlos Menem was convicted on corruption charges Tuesday, but as with a previous arms trafficking sentence he will escape prison time thanks to his immunity as a senator, AFP reports.
Menem, Argentina's president from 1989 to 1999, was convicted of masterminding the illegal overpayment of high-ranking officials' salaries. He was sentenced to four and a half years, but the ruling is largely symbolic. The 85-year-old former leader skipped the court hearing, saying he had
health problems.