Mario Nawfal revealed that SBF once helped the former president of Honduras prepare for trial, and the latter has since been pardoned by Trump.

On December 4, Mario Nawfal, founder and CEO of Dubai venture capital firm IBC Group, posted on social media: “When I spoke with SBF about the FTX collapse (the interview will be released soon), he shared an unexpected story with me. SBF’s former prison mate, former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández, was just pardoned by Trump. Last June, he was sentenced in the US to 45 years in prison for drug trafficking and illegal possession of firearms. SBF said: ‘I lived in the same prison block with Juan Orlando for a year and a half. I got to know him quite well. I’d like to believe we became friends. I can’t think of any inmate more deserving of a pardon—he was framed.’ SBF spent a significant amount of time helping Hernández prepare for his trial and reviewing related evidence. SBF stated: ‘Not only is he not a drug lord, he might be the world’s most effective leader of anti-drug trafficking operations. Juan Orlando is the most innocent prisoner I’ve ever seen, including myself.’ This pardon occurred just days before Honduras’ November 30 election, with Trump supporting Nasry Asfura, the National Party candidate to which Hernández belongs.”