Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador today denied receiving money from drug traffickers during his 2006 election campaign, the defense of a former minister on trial in the US alleged.

“We are not mobsters, nor are we corrupt,” López Obrador said during his morning press conference when asked about the ongoing trial of former Security Minister Genaro García Luna in New York.

According to the latter’s defense, seven million dollars was allegedly handed over to Mexico City’s Security Secretary Gabriel Regino when López Obrador was mayor.

Defense attorney Cesar Castro on Tuesday questioned former drug trafficker Jesus “Rey” Zambada, a prosecution witness, about the alleged payment of that amount to López Obrador.

The latter said he remembers handing over the money for an election campaign, but not for López Obador.

“This lawyer is a false lawyer, slanderous and corrupt,” the Mexican president denounced.

“Zambada turned out to be more correct. If we analyze it, this lawyer belongs to the same mafia as Garcia Luna (…) and the whole network of political and financial white-collar crime”, he complained, speaking of a “fixed game“.

According to the defense, the money was allegedly used in the left-wing politician’s campaign for the 2006 presidential election, which he lost to conservative Felipe Calderon.

In the latter’s government, Genaro García Luna was Minister of Security and considered one of the most powerful men in the country.

Charged with drug trafficking, his trial is expected to conclude later today, nearly four weeks ahead of schedule.