Former president of Peru Alexander Toledoaccused by Lima of corruption and money laundering, he surrendered to US authorities this Friday morning to begin his extradition process to Peru, California authorities said.
Toledo, 77, surrendered at 9:15 am (1:15 pm in Buenos Aires) at a federal court in San José eqIt was turned over to the service of the United States Marshals.
Toledo, who governed from 2001 to 2006, and has been claimed by the Justice of his country since the end of 2017, is accused of the alleged commission of the crimes of laundering, collusion and trading in influence in relation to contracts awarded to the Odebrecht company for the construction of the Interoceanic Route between Brazil and Peru.
From his apartment in the town of Menlo Park (San Francisco Bay, USA), the former president had clarified any doubts about his delivery, scheduled for this Friday: “I will, I respect the judge’s decision (Thomas S. Hixson) , even if I don’t agree with it”.
Toledo was under house arrest, a condition he has enjoyed since 2020, after a year in a California prison, due to the dangers that the covid-19 health crisis could pose to his state of health.
Prison in the United States
Toledo is expected to be handed over to the Federal Marshals Service, which will keep him in a San Mateo county jail (USA) before sending him to Peru.
The former president had said in statements to EFE hours before his delivery that he did not know how long he will remain in US custody and “who will come from Peru” to carry out the extradition which, according to his legal team, should pass soon in the hands of Interpol. .
Toledo is accused in his country for the alleged commission of the crimes of money laundering, collusion and influence trading in connection with the Odebrecht scandal, which in turn is part of the well-known Car Wash case and which has affected several Latin American leaders.
In 2019, the founder of the extinct Peru Posible party had already been arrested in California, where he taught at Stanford University, due to the extradition warrant weighing on him, but a year later he was placed under house arrest.
last september, US justice has given the green light for Toledo’s extradition to Peruhaving found sufficient evidence to justify this measure, approved in February of this year by the State Department.
“I am deeply disappointed by what happened to the Department of Justice and the Department of State (USA), but that doesn’t take away my gratitude to this country that has given me everything,” Toledo said in an interview with EFE.
Although he ended up leaving it in the air that his arrest could have been negotiated between the current Peruvian government, led by Dina Boluarte, and the undersecretary of state, Wendy Sherman, in the meeting they held in February.
“I just hope they haven’t made a deal with my head,” he added.
Source: agencies
Source: Clarin
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