Ecuador's Vice-President Glas to face corruption trial

Jorge Glas is suspected of taking bribes from Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht

A judge in Ecuador has ordered that the country's Vice-President, Jorge Glas, stand trial over corruption allegations.

Mr Glas, who was arrested on 2 October, is the highest-ranking politician to be indicted in the massive Odebrecht corruption scandal.

Prosecutors accuse Mr Glas of taking $13.5m (£10.2m) in bribes from the Brazilian construction giant, which he denies.

He could face up to five years in jail.

Read: Odebrecht's massive web of corruption

Mr Glas has been vice-president of Ecuador since 2013 and was re-elected to the post in February.

But with corruption allegations mounting against him, he was relieved of his duties by President Lenín Moreno in August.

As part of a plea deal, former top Odebrecht executive in Ecuador Jose Conceicao Santos revealed that the company had paid $33.5m in bribes since 2007 to secure infrastructure contracts in the country.

Prosecutors say that more than a third of that money went to Mr Glas in payments made via his uncle, Ricardo Rivera.

Mr Glas and 12 other people, including his uncle, have so far been charged with conspiracy but prosecutors said more serious charges could follow.

The scandal has tainted politicians in several other countries, including Mexico, Peru and Panama as well as Brazil, where Odebrecht is based.