Panama's jailed ex-ruler Noriega begins journey home

Panama's jailed ex-ruler Manuel Noriega has begun his return to his homeland following extradition from France. His flight took off from Paris' Orly airport heading for Madrid from where he will board a plane to Panama, French news agency AFP reports. He is expected to be transferred to prison once he arrives in Panama, having been convicted in absentia of crimes during his 1983-89 rule. The 77-year-old has already spent more than 20 years in French and US prisons. Last month, a French court approved a request from Panama to send him back home to be jailed over his convictions for murder, corruption and embezzlement. He had the right to appeal, but his lawyers said he wanted to return to Panama. Foreign Minister Roberto Henriquez has said the government's priority is to guarantee Noriega's safety. Noriega is believed to be travelling with a team of Panamanian officials, including the country's attorney-general and a doctor. His critics have called on Panamanians to take to the streets upon his return later on Sunday to show their condemnation of the former dictator. Although he was never president, General Manuel Noriega served as Panama's de facto leader between 1983 to 1989. Once a US ally, he was arrested by invading American troops in January 1990, amid allegations he had turned the Central American nation into a drug-trafficking hub. He spent 20 years in prison in the US after being convicted there of the charges. In 2010, he was extradited from the US to France, where he had been convicted in absentia of laundering money from Colombian drug gangs through a French bank to buy property in Paris. He received a seven-year jail sentence from the French court. In Panama itself, he faces three 20-year jail terms for crimes committed during his rule, including the murders of political opponents. Upon his arrival in Panama City, Noriega is expected to be taken by helicopter to El Renacer prison, north-west of the capital and close to the Panama Canal. However it remains unclear whether he will remain there, as Panama allows people aged 70 years and above to serve their sentences at home.