Prosecutors in Guatemala are seeking to have presidential candidate Sandra Torres Casanova's immunity from prosecution withdrawn over a case of alleged illicit campaign financing.

Prosecutor Juan Francisco Sandoval says the request springs from an investigation with a U.N.-sponsored anti-corruption commission that President Jimmy Morales has moved to sideline.

Sandoval says Torres' National Unity of Hope party is suspected of receiving financing from businesses that hid their contributions. He says prosecutors are looking into alleged crimes of illicit association, perjury, illicit and unreported electoral financing and tax fraud.

At a Wednesday news conference, Torres called it a political attack and denounced what she called "dark political intentions."

Torres was accredited as a candidate Tuesday, a status that confers legal immunity. It is her second time running for the presidency. </s> GUATEMALA CITY (AP) - Prosecutors in Guatemala are seeking to have presidential candidate Sandra Torres Casanova's immunity from prosecution withdrawn over a case of alleged illicit campaign financing.

Prosecutor Juan Francisco Sandoval says the request springs from an investigation with a U.N.-sponsored anti-corruption commission that President Jimmy Morales has moved to sideline.

Sandoval says Torres' National Unity of Hope party is suspected of receiving financing from businesses that hid their contributions. He says prosecutors are looking into alleged crimes of illicit association, perjury, illicit and unreported electoral financing and tax fraud.

At a Wednesday news conference, Torres called it a political attack and denounced what she called "dark political intentions."

Torres was accredited as a candidate Tuesday, a status that confers legal immunity. It is her second time running for the presidency.

FILE - In this Oct. 25, 2015 file photo, former first lady Sandra Torres, who's running for president with the National Unity of Hope party, shows her inked finger after voting during the presidential runoff election in Guatemala City. Guatemala's attorney general's office asked on Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2019, that the immunity of Torrez, who is now an official presidential candidate and is therefore immune from prosecution, be lifted as she now stands accused of several electoral crimes during her 2015 presidential run. (AP Photo/Oliver de Ros, File) </s> GUATEMALA CITY (AP) - Prosecutors in Guatemala sought Wednesday to have presidential candidate Sandra Torres Casanova's immunity from prosecution withdrawn over a case of millions in alleged illicit campaign financing four years ago.

Juan Francisco Sandoval, head of the anti-impunity prosecutors' office, or FECI, said Torres' National Unity of Hope party is suspected of receiving about $2.5 million for the 2015 presidential election from businesses, contributions that were not reported to the Supreme Electoral Tribunal.

"The crimes which would be charged are illicit association, perjury, illicit and unreported electoral financing and tax fraud," Sandoval said.

At a news conference, Torres laid blame on former chief prosecutor Thelma Aldana, who is planning her own presidential bid, and accused Sandoval of persecuting her at Aldana's bidding.

"We see dark political intentions behind all this. Behind all this there is a person (Aldana), a criminal structure embedded in the FECI. It wants to harm me," Torres said, adding that she would not allow the election to be "stolen."

Torres ran in the 2015 race, which was won by current President Jimmy Morales. She was accredited Tuesday as a candidate for the election this June, a status that confers legal immunity from prosecution.

FILE - In this Oct. 25, 2015 file photo, former first lady Sandra Torres, who's running for president with the National Unity of Hope party, shows her inked finger after voting during the presidential runoff election in Guatemala City. Guatemala's attorney general's office asked on Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2019, that the immunity of Torrez, who is now an official presidential candidate and is therefore immune from prosecution, be lifted as she now stands accused of several electoral crimes during her 2015 presidential run. (AP Photo/Oliver de Ros, File)

Sandoval also said four people were arrested, prosecutors were seeking to lift the immunity of four lawmakers from the same party and the party's headquarters were being searched for documents related to the case.

Under Guatemalan law the request to withdraw Torres' immunity will go to the Supreme Court for consideration.

Wednesday's announcement by prosecutors arose from an investigation in partnership with a U.N.-sponsored anti-corruption commission that Morales has moved to sideline after it pressed investigations of him, some relatives and some associates. The president denies wrongdoing.

As chief prosecutor Aldana worked closely with the commission, known as CICIG, bringing graft cases that swept up dozens of public officials and businesspeople including then-President Otto Perez Molina. That record brought her acclaim at home and abroad and put her in position to launch a presidential bid this year.

National Unity of Hope is the party of former President Alvaro Colom, who was elected in 2008 and is currently free on bail while under investigation for purported embezzlement. He, too, denies wrongdoing. </s> GUATEMALA CITY >> Prosecutors in Guatemala sought today to have presidential candidate Sandra Torres Casanova’s immunity from prosecution withdrawn over a case of millions in alleged illicit campaign financing four years ago.

GUATEMALA CITY >> Prosecutors in Guatemala sought today to have presidential candidate Sandra Torres Casanova’s immunity from prosecution withdrawn over a case of millions in alleged illicit campaign financing four years ago.

Juan Francisco Sandoval, head of the anti-impunity prosecutors’ office, or FECI, said Torres’ National Unity of Hope party is suspected of receiving about $2.5 million for the 2015 presidential election from businesses, contributions that were not reported to the Supreme Electoral Tribunal.

“The crimes which would be charged are illicit association, perjury, illicit and unreported electoral financing and tax fraud,” Sandoval said.

At a news conference, Torres laid blame on former chief prosecutor Thelma Aldana, who is planning her own presidential bid, and accused Sandoval of persecuting her at Aldana’s bidding.

“We see dark political intentions behind all this. Behind all this there is a person (Aldana), a criminal structure embedded in the FECI. It wants to harm me,” Torres said, adding that she would not allow the election to be “stolen.”

Torres ran in the 2015 race, which was won by current President Jimmy Morales. She was accredited Tuesday as a candidate for the election this June, a status that confers legal immunity from prosecution.

Sandoval also said four people were arrested, prosecutors were seeking to lift the immunity of four lawmakers from the same party and the party’s headquarters were being searched for documents related to the case.

Under Guatemalan law the request to withdraw Torres’ immunity will go to the Supreme Court for consideration.

Today’s announcement by prosecutors arose from an investigation in partnership with a U.N.-sponsored anti-corruption commission that Morales has moved to sideline after it pressed investigations of him, some relatives and some associates. The president denies wrongdoing.

As chief prosecutor Aldana worked closely with the commission, known as CICIG, bringing graft cases that swept up dozens of public officials and businesspeople including then-President Otto Perez Molina. That record brought her acclaim at home and abroad and put her in position to launch a presidential bid this year.

National Unity of Hope is the party of former President Alvaro Colom, who was elected in 2008 and is currently free on bail while under investigation for purported embezzlement. He, too, denies wrongdoing. </s> GUATEMALA CITY (Reuters) - Guatemala’s former attorney general Thelma Aldana will seek to overturn a decision from the country’s top elections authority that would prevent the anti-corruption crusader from running for president, a top aide said on Tuesday.

A little over two months from the June vote, the electoral court rejected Aldana’s candidacy in a decision announced on Monday that cited an arrest warrant issued against her, which alleged irregularities during her tenure as chief prosecutor.

The electoral court case against Aldana, who served as attorney general from 2014 to 2018, was pursued by her political opponents.

Among the presidential front-runners in recent polls, Aldana has denied the charges and dismissed them as politically motivated.

“Why are there so many attacks? Because she represents a serious threat to the various economic, political and illicit interests that operate in the country,” Rotman Perez, Aldana’s campaign manager, told Reuters.

Perez said Aldana will opt for one of two options: ask the country’s Supreme Court to reinstate her on the ballot or seek an appeal with the Constitutional Court, Guatemala’s top judicial body.

He did not say when the presidential hopeful would make her next move.

Aldana, 63, leads the left-of-center Seed Movement party and is currently in neighboring El Salvador due to what she has described as political persecution.

Aldana led the field of presidential candidates with 28 percent ahead of the June 16 election in a recent Mitofsky poll, outpacing Zury Rios, the daughter of former dictator Efrain Rios Montt, and former First Lady Sandra Torres.

During her tenure as Guatemala’s top law enforcement official, Aldana helped uncover corruption cases that led to the conviction and imprisonment of ex-President Otto Perez.

She has also been a vocal supporter of the U.N.-backed International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala, or CICIG.

Current President Jimmy Morales, who has been a target of CICIG investigators, has ordered the body to end its work and leave the country. </s> A court in Guatemala says an arrest warrant has been issued for a former Guatemalan prosecutor who is running for president.

But because Thelma Aldana was formally registered Tuesday by the election board as a candidate in the June elections, under Guatemalan law she has immunity from prosecution.

Aldana was nominated by the Seed Movement party and is running second in polls.

A spokeswoman for Guatemala's Supreme Court says the warrant against Aldana is related to a corruption investigation involving illegal hiring.

Sixty-three-year-old Thelma Aldana was Guatemala's top prosecutor from 2014 to 2018. During that time, she jailed then-President Otto Perez Molina and most of his Cabinet on corruption charges. Perez Molina resigned in 2015. </s> Prosecutors in Guatemala say they have opened a corruption investigation into a former chief prosecutor who is soon to be named a candidate in the June 16 presidential elections.

The Seed Movement party is planning to name Thelma Aldana as its candidate this weekend. Polls show Aldana would probably run second in the race.

Prosecution spokeswoman Julia Barrera would not say Friday what charges the investigation involves, but said it was related to a case of irregular hiring of personnel.

If Aldana is arrested or charged, it could effectively prevent her from running.

The 63-year-old Aldana was Guatemala's top prosecutor from 2014 to 2018. Her biggest successes were the jailing of former President Otto Perez Molina and most of his Cabinet on corruption charges. Perez Molina resigned in 2015. </s> Guatemala's top electoral court has accepted three challenges to the presidential candidacy of former chief prosecutor Thelma Aldana, at least temporarily leaving her outside the race.

Jorge Mario Valenzuela, one of the Supreme Electoral Court judges who voted against Aldana, says one of the challenges alleged that Aldana did not have a certification from the comptroller's office indicating that her public accounts were all settled. The certificate is a requirement of candidates.

When Aldana registered her candidacy she had the certificate, but when the court later asked the comptroller it was told the document was expired.

Aldana could still appeal the decision. The challenges were brought by political rivals. </s> GUATEMALA CITY — A Guatemalan court said Tuesday that an arrest warrant has been issued for a former Guatemalan prosecutor who is running for president.

But because Thelma Aldana was formally registered Tuesday by the election board as a candidate in the June elections, under Guatemalan law she has immunity from prosecution.

Aldana was nominated by the Seed Movement party and is running second in polls.

A spokeswoman for Guatemala’s Supreme Court said the warrant against Aldana is related to a corruption investigation involving illegal hiring.

Aldana, 63, was Guatemala’s top prosecutor from 2014 to 2018. During that time, she jailed then-President Otto Perez Molina and most of his Cabinet on corruption charges. Perez Molina resigned in 2015.

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The Attorney General files a request to withdraw immunity to the presidential candidate of National Unity of Hope, former First Lady Sandra Torres, for alleged crimes of illicit electoral financing. Torres said it was a political persecution of the former Attorney General and presidential candidate Thelma Aldana.