On Tuesday, the Peruvian Prosecutor’s Office raided the offices and residences of six congressmen of the centrist Acción Popular (AP) party, as well as the home of a sister of President Pedro Castillo, as part of an investigation into an alleged organization. criminal in the Executive.
The prosecutor reported on his social networks that the purpose of the raid, which involves teams of prosecutors together with agents of the National Police, is “to gather information on the alleged participation of these members of Congress in the direction of works for Chinese and Peruvian companies. “. .
Upon learning of these raids, President Castillo said on Twitter that the prosecutor’s office had also entered his sister’s home and that her mother was there.
“The Prosecutor’s Office has entered my sister’s house. My mother is there. This abusive act has damaged her health. I believe the National Prosecutor’s Office is responsible for my mother’s health,” he wrote indignantly on his social media.
“Danger of escape” from the first lady
Another controversy has been raised by a possible trip abroad by the first lady, Lilia Paredes. The Peruvian prosecutor said that there is a “danger of flight” for the President’s wife, citing the reasons why she asked for a restricted summons before the authorities and another to prevent her from leaving the country for 36 months. .
“We believe that this measure is the most appropriate and optimal to avoid the danger of escape”, assured the prosecutor Jorge García Juárez at the hearing before indicating that, with these restrictions, “his presence in the proceedings” of the investigation will be guaranteed. . it is followed against an alleged criminal organization in the Peruvian government.
The prosecutor also asked that Paredes be subjected to a monthly judicial control, that she cannot be absent from the municipality in which she resides, that she is forbidden to communicate with the suspects and go to ministries and municipalities allegedly connected, and that a constraint be imposed on her (economic deposit of 100,000 soles (about 25,700 dollars).
Castillo and the first lady are under investigation for having led an alleged organization dedicated to the awarding of public works in exchange for money, in which other members of the Executive and relatives of Paredes are also involved, for which they have extended the request for restrictions and impediment to leaving the country for his brothers Walter and David.
Also involved in the case is the first lady’s younger sister, Yenifer Paredes, who was raised as a daughter by the presidential couple and who has been serving a 30-month pre-trial detention order since last August.
The entrepreneur Hugo Espino is also under investigation, who declared before the Prosecutor’s Office that he had coordinated with Lilia and Yenifer Paredes in the Government Palace an agreement to be a figurehead for the Castillo family, received from them deposits of money and paid bribes to be awarded works infrastructural with the state.
Pedro Castillo also cannot travel
The first lady’s travel ban adds to the refusal of Congress by President Pedro Castillo himself to leave the country for official tours. The president had scheduled meetings with the authorities of the European Union (EU) in Brussels and an audience with Pope Francis in the Vatican, but the parliament denied him this possibility.
Castillo said this refusal will prevent him from signing various agreements he had already outlined and which he did not mention directly.
“When we went (…) to the United Nations we met international organizations, where we committed ourselves to leave the country and sign international agreements so that investments from outside the country arrive here, to guarantee food for first and second childhood”, he said during a ceremony with miners at the Government Palace.
And immediately afterwards he added: “We had to go out this week to finish it. The Congress of the Republic has just denied us the exit.”
Last Thursday, Congress denied Castillo permission to travel to Brussels, Rome and the Vatican, an essential requirement for Peruvian heads of state to be able to leave their country.
In the first vote, 55 members of Congress voted against granting permission to Castillo, 54 in favor and there were 6 abstentions, while in the second reconsideration attempt there were 58 members against, 56 in favor and one abstention.
In this way they responded to the denial they had already given them last August, when the legislator opposed Castillo’s request to go to Bogotá to witness the transmission of the command by President Gustavo Petro.
The vice president denounced a plan to remove Castillo from power
Some sectors present at the Peruvian Congress intend to disqualify or remove President Pedro Castillo and Vice President Dina Boluarte, have denounced the country’s number two, who also denied having committed irregularities in its management.
“Some policy areas intend to first disqualify the vice president and then try again to leave or perhaps disqualify and suspend the president,” Boluarte assured a legislative commission.
Boluarte stood before the congressional subcommittee on Constitutional Accusations, which must decide this week whether to accuse it of alleged administrative irregularities, with the risk of 10 years of disqualification from public office.
A possible sanction against her would put the head of Congress, the opposition José Williams (Avanza País), in the line of succession of Castillo, who managed to pass two impeachment motions in Parliament in his 15 months in power.
Source: Agencies.
Source: Clarin
