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 News Around the Republic of Mexico | September 2007 
Mexico's Fox Denies Illegal Enrichment
 Associated Press
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| | Former Mexico President Vicente Fox (L) gives the media a tour of the Centro Fox, a presidential library under construction in San Fransisco del Rincon, in the state of Guanajuato, May 25, 2007. Mexico's Congress said it would open a probe into the finances of Fox after a magazine spread on his swanky country home sparked questions about his new wealth. (Jennifer Szymaszek/Reuters) |
Mexico City — Former Mexican President Vicente Fox has denied allegations that he illegally enriched himself during his presidency, calling them part of a smear campaign against him.
"Someone, whose motives I don't know, wants to discredit me and fool Mexicans," Fox said in a statement.
The allegations against him surfaced this month after celebrity magazine Quien showed Fox, who left office in December, and former first lady Martha Sahagun at their newly renovated ranch, which has a pool and expansive gardens.
Columnists and radio hosts questioned whether he could have earned enough as president to afford such luxuries, raising the specter of corruption that clouded many earlier Mexican administrations.
On Monday, lawmakers approved the creation of a commission to investigate his wealth.
Fox said his assets are disclosed in tax filings made public during his 2000-2006 presidency.
"All my properties are listed in those tax returns" Fox said. "They are public, and I own nothing more."
He said he bought the ranch in 1999, before he was elected president, and promised to cooperate with investigators because "I have nothing to hide."
A former Coca-Cola executive, Fox struggled in business ventures and drained his savings while serving as a congressman and state governor with the conservative National Action Party. His historic election in July 2000 ended 71 years of single-party rule. |
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