Salvadoran ex-president Saca released after 10-year sentence for corruption

What the report says

Elias Antonio Saca, the former president of El Salvador, has been released after completing a 10-year prison sentence tied to corruption, according to Al Jazeera’s report from Reuters. Saca, who is 61, appeared at court in San Salvador on Thursday to formally report his release after serving the term under a plea agreement.

The article says Saca admitted to diverting and laundering more than $300m in public funds during his 2004-2009 presidency. Prosecutors had accused him of moving state money for personal use and for others, including funds that went to his former party. He was arrested in 2016 at his son’s wedding and later received two five-year sentences, one for embezzlement and one for money laundering, which were treated as part of the same overall term. His lawyer said he completed the sentence in full and did not receive early release benefits.

Al Jazeera noted that the plea deal spared Saca from a possible 30-year prison sentence. The report also said he was separately convicted in 2019 for trying to bribe a court employee, though that punishment was folded into his existing term. Saca was a businessman and radio broadcaster before entering politics with the right-wing ARENA party. His case is part of a broader pattern of corruption cases involving former Salvadoran presidents, highlighting long-running scrutiny of public finances and political accountability in the country.