Mexican former state governor to be tried for organised crime

The facade of a court is pictured during the second judicial hearing of Javier Duarte, former governor of Mexican state Veracruz, on the outskirts of Mexico City, Mexico, July 22, 2017. REUTERS/Edgard Garrido

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - A former state governor from Mexico's ruling party will stand trial for engaging in organised crime and handling funds of illicit origin after a judge reviewing evidence approved the case, the attorney general's office said on Saturday.

Javier Duarte, who until 2016 governed the Gulf coast state of Veracruz for President Enrique Pena Nieto's Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), has been accused by the opposition of siphoning off millions of dollars during his six-year tenure.