[JURIST] A Salvadoran judge on Thursday ordered former president Francisco Flores to stand trial on corruption charges. Flores is charged [Guardian report] with embezzlement and illegal enrichment for allegedly diverting USD $15 million from Taiwanese donation to his personal and political bank accounts. The donations were intended to help victims of a 2001 earthquake in the region. Flores also faces charges [AP report] for failing to report to a committee of the Legislative Assembly [official website, in Spanish] tasked with investigating where the missing donations were deposited. Judge Miguel Ángel García announced the much-anticipated ruling, and stated that the proceedings will be made public.

The investigation into Flores has been ongoing for quite some time. In September 2014 Flores turned himself in [BBC report] to authorities after a warrant was issued for his arrest in May. “I have given myself over to the court voluntarily and out of respect for the law,” he stated after his surrender. Flores was taken into custody [JURIST report] the same month on the corruption charges after public outcry that he remained on house arrest. Flores was returned to house arrest in November 2014. In January 2014 the country’s current president Maurico Funes stated that Flores attempted to flee [BBC report] the country amidst the allegations of corruption and embezzlement. Funes claimed that Flores was attempting to escape to the neighboring country of Guatemala. Former Guatemalan President Otto Pérez Molina is also facing corruption charges [JURIST report] and was recently detained pending investigation.