El Salvador moves toward extradition request of ex-president

SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador – El Salvador’s Supreme Court has approved making an extradition request for ex-President Mauricio Funes, who is living with his family in Nicaragua and is being sought by Salvadoran prosecutors for an array of alleged corruption-related crimes.

The extradition request itself will be made to Nicaragua’s representatives in El Salvador at a later date but will likely have little effect since Nicaragua granted Funes and his family asylum in 2016.

Funes called the action “irrelevant” Thursday via Twitter.

Salvadoran prosecutors allege that during Funes’ 5-year administration from 2009-2014, some $351 million in government funds were diverted to accounts tied to him and family members.