Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez, who was freed from a 45-year sentence over cocaine trafficking in the United States by U.S. President Donald Trump, said he will seek to have local charges against him dismissed when he returns to Honduras on Sunday.
Background
Hernandez faces separate charges of fraud and money laundering in Honduras that were not affected by the U.S. president’s pardon. He maintains his innocence and argues the case was politically motivated.
Legal experts in Honduras are divided about how Hernandez will fare with local charges, after charges against former President Porfirio Lobo and ex-finance secretary Wilfredo Cerrato were dismissed. They were investigated under the same case as Hernandez, known as Pandora II, which looked into a corruption network and misappropriation of state funds.
Hernandez, who led Honduras from 2014 to 2022, during which many Hondurans fled violence and extortion, said he had already requested the arrest warrant against him be dropped and he expects to start judicial proceedings in early August.
Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
