PANAMA CITY (AP) -- A judicial court sentenced former President Guillermo
                  Endara to 18 months in jail for slandering a social security director two years
                  ago, but later suspended the sentence.

                  It wasn't immediately why the court suspended the sentence, but Endara said it
                  was to humiliate him.

                  "They are humiliating me," Endara told the Associated Press on Tuesday. "After
                  they condemn me they suspend the sentence making it seem like I am a
                  privileged person."

                  Court officials couldn't be immediately reached for comment.

                  Former Social Security Director Ricardo Martinelli filed the suit in 1998 after
                  Endara publicly blamed Martinelli for the deaths of dozens of patients who died
                  of kidney failure at government hospitals. Endara said the patients were given
                  IVs that were out of date, and Martinelli knew about it.

                  Endara, whose allegations were never proven, said he did not slander Martinelli,
                  but was simply telling the truth.

                  Martinelli said Tuesday "it was lamentable that he had to resort to filing a slander
                  suit to clear his name."

                  Copyright 2000 The Associated Press.