Over the course of nearly seven years, the Australian hacker had all but worn out his welcome at the embassy with antics that included late-night skateboarding, harassing the staff and smearing his feces on the walls, according to Ecuadorian officials.
Moreno had finally decided to kick Assange out after getting wind of a WikiLeaks plot to blackmail him by publishing compromising documents, according to a senior government official who wasnt authorized to discuss the matter and spoke on condition of anonymity.
The move to extract one of the worlds most high-profile fugitives came about relatively quickly after years of what officials portrayed as obnoxious and ungracious behavior by their houseguest.
Moreno, a 66-year-old who uses a wheelchair after being shot and paralyzed from the waist down in a 1998 robbery, is usually a jovial figure.
On a summer day, Assange moved into the compound near Londons upscale Harrods department store for what most thought would be a short stay.
Former President Rafael Correa, whose government granted Assange refuge, had been a fierce supporter of the silver-haired computer expert.
Assanges critics and authorities in Britain and the United States praised Moreno for a decision they said will ensure he is held accountable for both jumping bail in the sex-crime case and publishing a trove of confidential U.S.
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