El Salvador court absolves 2 ex-presidents in graft case

SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador – A court in El Salvador has absolved two former presidents and three other defendants of criminal responsibility in the alleged diversion of $10 million donated by Taiwan to help victims of 2001 earthquakes.

Tony Saca and Francisco Flores had been accused of money laundering along with three leaders of the conservative Arena party.

The court dismissed the criminal case Friday.

Saca is already serving a 10-year sentence for the diversion of more than $300 million in government funds to favour his businesses and third parties. In the coming months he is expected to plead guilty to bribing a judicial employee to leak information in a civil trial against him.

Flores died in January 2016 under house arrest while awaiting trial on charges including illicit enrichment and misuse of public funds.