Noriega leaves Panama hospital, returns to prison

PANAMA CITY - Panamanian authorities discharged former dictator Manuel Noriega from a public hospital on Thursday and returned him to prison, five days after he fainted from high blood pressure and was rushed to intensive care.

Tests showed Noriega, 77, had not suffered a stroke - as doctors had originally feared - and he received treatment for high cholesterol and blood pressure, said Health Minister Franklin Vergara.

"The ex-general Noriega is stable and out of danger," said Vergara in a statement, adding doctors will continue to monitor his condition in prison.

A government spokesman said Noriega had returned to prison.

He is being held in solitary confinement serving a 20 year sentence for crimes committed during his 1983-1989 rule, including the killings of political opponents.

Noriega was extradited in December to Panama from France, where he was convicted of money laundering.

The diminished Noriega, known for is fiery, machete-brandishing speeches while in power, came home in a wheelchair.

Lawyers say he suffered strokes during his 20-plus years of incarceration abroad, which also included serving time in Florida for drug trafficking.

Due to his age, Panamanian law could allow Noriega to be moved to house arrest, but his legal team has not said if they will request the transfer.

One of his lawyers said they had requested that Noriega remain in hospital due to poor care at the prison.

"This hypertension crisis that he has suffered ... originated due to the fact that the penitentiary system did not give him the specialized attention his case required," lawyer Gisela Vega told reporters.

Noriega was ousted in a US invasion in 1989 after his once-cozy relationship with Washington soured over his ties to Colombian cocaine traffickers.