Francisco Flores: Former President of El Salvador Hands Himself in Over Corruption Charges
Former President Francisco Flores of El Salvador decided to hand himself over to Salvadorian authorities after being on the run for months. Flores was wanted by San Salvador for corruption charges concerning money donated by the Taiwanese government.
Flores had been president of El Salvador from 1999 to 2004 and ruling as a member of the conservative Arena Party, according to the BBC. He was charged with corruption and had been missing from the country for months.
However, Flores decided to hand himself in to the authorities, after an arrest warrant had been issued back in May by a judge. The former president has been placed under house arrest.
"I have given myself over to the court voluntarily and out of respect for the law," Flores said on Friday after handing himself in.
Flores has been accused of misappropriating funds provided by the Taiwanese government to help the nation recuperate following a deadly earthquake in 2001, according to Reuters. Despite denying the charges, Flores fled El Salvador and was believed to be in Panama.
Interpol issued a red notice, as close as possible to an international arrest warrant, for Flores.
AFP reported back in May of rumors that Flores had fled to Panama after reports surfaced he had been seen at a beach town. He was suspected to be a guest of former Panamanian president Mireya Moscoso. At the time, the Salvadorian president, Mauricio Funes, asked the Panamanian government to help in the investigation and deny Flores political asylum.
However, when he returned to El Salvador, judiciary spokesman Ulises Marinero said: "He presented himself voluntarily to the courts. Now we will read the charges against him, explain why he will be held in prison, and explain what crimes he's accused of."
According to Al Jazeera, Flores allegedly misappropriated $15 million donated by former Taiwanese president Chen Shui-ban, who is currently in prison for corruption.
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