Honduran Court Clears Ex-President Hernández of Fraud and Money Laundering

A judge in Honduras has dismissed the fraud and money laundering case against former President Juan Orlando Hernández, clearing him of all pending charges in the Central American nation. The ruling, delivered on Tuesday, brings an end to the legal proceedings tied to the so-called Pandora I case.

The case alleged that a network of former high-ranking officials, active between 2010 and 2013, facilitated the expansion and approval of public fund disbursements totaling more than 288 million lempiras (about $10.8 million) to various foundations. According to the Specialized Prosecutor’s Unit Against Corruption Networks (UFERCO), Hernández benefited from these disbursements, receiving at least 62 million lempiras (around $2.3 million) for his political campaign through shell companies, straw men, and fictitious contracts.

Hernández, who has consistently maintained his innocence, returned to Honduras in July after being extradited to the United States four years earlier for a drug trafficking trial. He was sentenced to 45 years in prison in the U.S. but was released in December after receiving a presidential pardon from then-President Donald Trump. Upon his return, he pledged to face justice in his home country, though some legal observers questioned whether the Honduran judicial system could handle the case effectively.

In its ruling, the Honduran Judiciary stated that the evidence presented at the hearing “did not establish the defendant’s participation in the investigated events.” The public prosecutor’s office had requested a formal indictment, but the judge rejected that request and granted Hernández definitive release. He had previously been under conditional release while the case progressed.

Outside the courthouse, a large crowd of supporters gathered, as they had throughout the proceedings. Addressing the crowd, Hernández declared, “Today this chapter of political persecution closes, we close the one in the United States, this one is closing.”

Supreme Court spokesman Carlos Silva noted that parties dissatisfied with the decision may file an appeal.