Honduran court clears ex-President Hernandez in Pandora corruption case
The judiciary ruled that the former head of state was not responsible for the budgetary decisions alleged to have diverted state funds, a decision Hernandez described as an end to political persecution.
A court in Honduras has dropped fraud and money laundering charges against former President Juan Orlando Hernandez, marking a significant legal resolution in the country’s ongoing Pandora corruption scandal. The decision follows Hernandez’s return to Honduras in July 2026, after he was pardoned by US President Donald Trump for a drug-trafficking conviction.
The judiciary stated that Hernandez was not responsible for the budgetary decisions involved in the alleged corruption scheme. Prosecutors had claimed that approximately $10.8m in state funds were diverted between 2010 and 2013, with Hernandez allegedly receiving about $2.3m of that sum.
Judiciary spokesperson Carlos Silva told reporters that the evidence did not establish the defendant’s participation in the investigated events. This legal reasoning focuses on the specific administrative responsibilities of the former president during the period in question, rather than the broader political context surrounding his return.
Hernandez, a prominent member of the right-wing National Party, characterised the ruling as a vindication against political persecution. “This chapter of political persecution has now ended,” Hernandez said, arguing that the case had no basis and was pursued for political purposes.
The domestic resolution comes after a complex international legal journey. Hernandez was extradited to the United States in April 2022, convicted of drug trafficking in 2024, and sentenced to 45 years in prison. Trump granted the pardon on 2 December 2025, days before Honduran general elections, citing what he described as harsh treatment under the previous US administration.
Other officials implicated in the Pandora scandal have also seen their charges dropped, including former President Porfirio Lobo and ex-Finance Minister Wilfredo Cerrato. The simultaneous clearing of these high-profile figures has drawn attention to the institutional dynamics within the Honduran judiciary and the National Party’s influence on governance.
