SALINAS' BROTHER FOUND INNOCENT OF MONEY LAUNDERING [AFTER ALL -- ED]

Reuters -- A Mexican appeals court Wednesday found Raul Salinas de Gortari,
brother of former President Carlos Salinas de Gortari, not guilty of
money-laundering charges, his lawyer said.

"Today, a federal appeals court found my client not guilty of the charge of
money laundering. This was one of the most important charges against him,"
the lawyer, Raul Cardenas, said.

Cardenas said his client, who had been accused of hiding millions of
dollars in bribes paid by druglords in secret Swiss bank accounts, still
faces charges of murder and illegal enrichment.

Cardenas said the appeals court ruling on money laundering charges could
not be revoked by a higher court.

Salinas has been in Mexico's high-security Almoloya Prison near Mexico City
since February 1995, when he was arrested under orders from President
Ernesto Zedillo shortly after the latter took office. Salinas has denied
charges that he took bribes from cocaine barons while his brother ran the
country and that he was involved in the murder of former top ruling party
official Francisco Ruiz Massieu.

Checked-by: jwjohnson@netmagic.net (Joel W. Johnson)