Honduras issues arrest warrant for Ex-President Hernández recently pardoned by Trump

   Juan Orlando Hernandez presents his national statement as a part of the World Leaders’ Summit at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland, on November 1, 2021.  Hondurass attorney general has announced the issuance of an arrest warrant for former President Juan Orlando Hernndez, just days after he was released from a US federal prison following a pardon by President Donald Trump.  Attorney General, Johel Antonio Zelaya Alvarez stated on X Monday that he had requested government agencies and Interpol to arrest Hernndez on charges of money laundering and fraud.  We have been lacerated by the tentacles of corruption and by criminal networks that have profoundly marked the life of our country, Zelaya said.  His post included a photo of the Supreme Courts arrest order, which was dated November 28ththe same day Trump announced his intention to pardon Hernndez. The pardon drew criticism from both sides of the political spectrum in the US and Honduras. Hernndez, who served as President of Honduras from 2014 until 2022, was previously convicted and sentenced last year to 45 years in federal prison and an $8 million fine by a US judge for drug trafficking offenses. The new domestic charges against Hernndez are connected to the Pandora II anti-corruption investigation in Honduras, a scheme that implicated top politicians, government officials, and businesspeople. Prosecutors allege Hernndez illegally siphoned approximately $2.4 million in kickbacks from public contracts to fund his 2013 political campaign. In a statement, Hernndezs attorney Renato Stabile called the arrest warrant a political maneuver by Hondurass ruling Libre partya rival of the conservative National Party that Hernndez once led.  This is obviously a strictly political move on behalf of the defeated radical left Libre party as they are being forced out of power by the people of Honduras. It is shameful and desperate piece of political theatre and these charges are completely baseless, Stabile said.  Luis Santos, the director of Honduras Specialized Unit against Corruption Crimes, confirmed days ago that Hernndez had an open case in the Supreme Court of Justice for money laundering and fraud, and noted that an earlier international arrest warrant had been with the Ministry of Security and Interpol since September 2023. Santos added that if Hernndez did not return to Honduras, an extradition request would be filed with the United States. Trump formally pardoned Hernndez on December 3rd, telling reporters at the White House, I feel pretty good about it, and referring to the prosecution as a Biden horrible witch hunt. The move drew criticism from both Republican and Democratic members of Congress, who questioned the decision to pardon someone with a drug trafficking conviction given the administration’s stated focus on disrupting drug trafficking in Latin America. US prosecutors had accused Hernndez of conspiring with drug cartels during his presidency, facilitating the movement of over 400 tons of cocaine through Honduras toward the United States. In exchange, prosecutors alleged, Hernndez received millions of dollars in bribes used to fuel his political advancement.Hernndez has maintained his innocence, claiming his trial was rigged and that it relied on the accusations of criminals seeking revenge against him. Following his pardon, the former Honduran leader thanked Trump for having the courage to defend justice at a moment when a weaponized system refused to acknowledge the truth, in an X post on Wednesday. The post Honduras issues arrest warrant for Ex-President Hernndez recently pardoned by Trump appeared first on Linda Ikeji Blog.