A federal judge has accepted a plea deal that will avoid jail time for current and former executives of the fruit giant Chiquita. Earlier this year, Chiquita admitted to paying $1.7 million to a right-wing Colombian paramilitary group on the U.S. terrorist watch list. Questions are being raised whether the Justice Department decision is an attempt to avoid scrutiny of whether the Bush administration gave Chiquita its tacit approval. Last month, Chiquita revealed it told Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff of the payments while Chertoff was at the Justice Department in April 2003. Chertoff promised a response but never replied. Chiquita kept making payments for nearly another year. Under the plea deal, Chiquita will pay a $25 million fine that the company itself proposed. Chiquita has an estimated $4.5 billion in annual revenue. Colombian officials have criticized the deal. Colombian Justice Minister Carlos Holguín said: “[This agreement] is not worthy of U.S. justice. … It gives the idea that impunity can be bought for a few million dollars.”