Guatemala Court: Perez Molina Fully Aware of Customs Scam

The Guatemalan Public Prosecutor revealed that President Otto Perez Molina, who stepped down and handed himself over to authorities Thursday, had complete knowledge of the customs fraud ring known as “La Linea.”

During the preliminary hearing of the former leader over the corruption case, the prosecutor indicated that Perez Molina collaborated to place certain personnel in the Superintendency of the Fiscal Administration, which oversees customs. Numerous officials have been charged with offering dramatically discounted customs charges in exchange for bribes – of which Perez Molina is accused of having received half, between May 2014 and April 2015.

RELATED: Timeline – The Downfall of Guatemalan President Perez Molina

Judge Miguel Angel Galves read the charges leveled against Perez Molina, which included criminal association, customs fraud, and money laundering.

The judge described how “La Linea” operated across all the main customs offices around the country, through subordinates known as “the tail,” and that in the above stated time period some 1,500 containers passed by laws established in the country.

Varios diputados ya están presentes en el hemiciclo. El tablero marca una asistencia de 40 congresistas |#OPMRenunció pic.twitter.com/XmoGIcQUUZ

— Jessica Gramajo, PL (@jgramajo_pl) September 3, 2015

Perez Molina’s attorney Cesar Calderon said the disgraced leader handed himself over to authorities prevent a “spectacle” over his arrest.

After having his immunity removed by Guatemala’s Congress, Perez Molina faces charges of fraud, illicit association and corruption, related to a massive, multimillion-dollar customs fraud ring. The former School of the Americas-trained general has denied any involvement in the scam.

In an extraordinary meeting on Thursday, the Congress has accepted the resignation of the president with 116 votes in favor, none against and 42 absences. Perez Molina's resignation follows months of mass protests against him and comes days before Sunday's presidential election.

The political crisis generated by this scandal is considered the one of the worst faced by the Central American nation in recent years.