Honduran court drops case against ex-President Hernandez after Trump pardon

Juan Orlando Hernandez had been accused of money laundering and fraud as part of a government corruption scheme.A court in Honduras has dropped charges against former President Juan Orlando Hernandez, who returned to the country in July after being pardoned in the United States for a drug-trafficking conviction.Hernandez had been accused of fraud and money laundering as part of a corruption scheme from 2010 to 2013, before his presidency.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Former President Hernandez returns to Honduras after Trump pardonlist 2 of 3Honduras mayor arrested for masterminding environmentalist’s killinglist 3 of 3Meet the US’s drug running friends: A history of narcotics involvementend of listBut on Tuesday, judiciary spokesperson Carlos Silva told reporters that Hernandez was not responsible for budgetary decisions at the time of the crimes. Hernandez, a prominent politician in the right-wing National Party, celebrated the decision as a vindication.“This chapter of political persecution has now ended,” Hernandez said after the decision.He argued that the case against him “had no basis” and was pursued for political purposes.“Those who orchestrated this operat...