Ex-Puerto Rico governor found not guilty

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, March 21 (UPI) -- Former Puerto Rico commonwealth governor Anibal Acevedo Vila was found not guilty of political corruption charges, a jury determined.

Prosecutors said Acevedo and 12 associates participated in a complicated scheme to pay off more than $500,000 in campaign debts going back to 2000, but after a month-long trial, a San Juan jury Friday found Acevedo not guilty, The New York Times reported.

The jury also determined that Acavedo, who suffered an election loss last year to Luis Fortuno, was not guilty of using campaign money to pay for personal vacations and $57,000 in "high end" clothing.

"I hope that the people of Puerto Rico learned their lesson from this experience, that the truth should be defended no matter what and no matter how powerful the enemies are," Acevedo told reporters after the verdict.