New arrest over Guatemala killing

Mr Contreras says he is innocent

A fifth Guatemalan policeman has been arrested in connection with the killing of three Salvadorean politicians near Guatemala City last month.

Prosecutors accused Marvin Roberto Contreras of buying the fuel used to set fire to the politicians' car.

Mr Contreras, who says he is innocent, is being held under tight security following the killing in jail of the other four policemen detained.

Officials are still looking for another policeman suspected of involvement.

On Wednesday, the Salvadorean President, Antonio Saca, accused what he called "high-level people" and the Guatemalan authorities of involvement in the killings.

Jailers arrested

The bodies of the three Salvadoreans were found on Monday 19 February in their burnt and bullet-riddled vehicle.

It is believed that some of them were still alive when they were set on fire.

At first it was thought their killings could have been politically motivated, as one of those killed was the son of Roberto D'Aubuisson, who was believed to have run El Salvador's right-wing death squads in the 1980s.

But a few days later, four policemen - including the head of Guatemala's organised crime unit - were arrested in connection with the killings.

The inquiry was said to be focusing on organised crime.

On Sunday 25 February, attackers managed to get past eight locked prison doors and shoot the four officers dead.

Guatemalan President Oscar Berger blamed organised crime gangs - perhaps drug trafficking gangs - for the jail attack.

The head of the prison and 21 jail employees were arrested as part of the inquiry.